《The Shopkeeper of Konoha》 1. Truck-kun? Scooter-chan... No, its meteor-ossan! A boring evening on Sunday. Garfield, an average IT job worker, was just grazing at the stars on the rooftop of his rented home. Average would actually be a wrong term here. He graduated from one of the reputed universities of the USA and then got a job in Silicon Valley, California. He was one of the luckiest people who had landed a job and that too on Google. He had worked hard and slogged his days through the university, published papers, got great grades and even participated in workshops. His resume was already mind blowing and after years of struggle he had landed himself a job in one of the most prestigious positions anyone of his age who aspired to be in the IT industry could hope for. But there was a downside in this. In order to land himself a good job, he sacrificed his social life. He was called a nerd all his life. Though the times have changed and nerd was no longer a taboo term in society but that label didn''t exactly attract anyone in his life. In his university life, his grades did attract some gold diggers but he never paid heed. There was a very weird obsession. Obsession of seeing himself in a secured future. He had seen how his parents struggled all his life, and he promised himself long ago that he would do anything possible to get his shit together. And so he did. Now that he achieved it, he felt that he had reached the end goal of his life but didn''t know what he should do more. He needed a purpose apart from his regular job. So, on this boring Sunday evening, he sat on the roof watching the skies. The city of San Jose was brightly lit and this made watching the stars more difficult due to the light pollution. He sighed to himself contemplating his life. It had been two weeks since he joined the company. After starting his new life, he was now actively searching for something in his life that would give him some meaning. While grazing at the stars, out of nowhere he saw a meteor falling from the skies. It looked very small from afar but this was enough to make Garfield quite happy. Meteors were very rare for Earth and the ones which do enter the Earth atmosphere were mostly broken wreckage of the satellites. But even then a ball of hot burning compound with its ass lit made Garfield expectant and did what any other slightly superstitious person would have done. He made a wish looking at the meteor. ''God, if you are out there, please provide me with an interesting life.'' After making the wish, he continued watching the meteor which had slowly turned from a small dot of fire to a small round of bright yellow ball. Garfield was a little puzzled. He couldn''t understand why this fake meteor hadn''t just vanished. "This is odd!" Garfield thought and continued scrutinizing the falling meteor. But as time went by the meteor had started getting bigger and bigger. And before Garfield could understand what the hell was going on, the meteor seemed like it was coming straight for his position. "Oh. Shit!" Garfield didn''t know why he felt that the meteor was coming for him but his instincts told him to run and so he went towards the staircase. But it was already too late for Garfield. By the time he opened the door, he felt a burning hot sensation in his back and soon lost unconsciousness. Before his thoughts stopped, the only thing that could run in his mind was "I wanted an interesting life, not an interesting end!"
Konoha Hospital. A boy with black luscious hair of about 12 years of age lied down in the bed with bandages on his forehead and his leg. But if one looked closely into the face of the boy, one could see that the eyelids were moving a bit, but the nurses and the doctors were busy handling the crisis that had just occurred in the village. The boy was called Aoto Yamazaki. The young child who was the son of one of the many commoners in the famous Konoha village in the world of Shinobis. He had been transferred to the Hospital because of one of the recent situations the village had faced and was now being treated at the Konoha Hospital after he suffered from injuries. The boy had a cute white face which still had some baby fat on his cheeks. He was wearing the green apron provided by the Hospital. With a start the boy opened his eyes. He felt an immense pain in head but after a moment of enduring the pain he was able to make sense of the things around. He could see a white ceiling overhead. There were green drapes on both sides which didn''t allow him to look further. Though the boy didn''t have a window on the bedside, he took a random guess that it was night since he could see the bright lights overhead throwing different shades around. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "The meteor really fucked me up!" Aoto thought. But the thoughts didn''t complete as he was dumbstruck. Normally when a person has a monologue in his mind, he or she mostly does that in their native language. Here came the twister. Aoto thought this in a completely different language. The thought wasn''t the only thing that had struck him. He moved his head a bit and looked at his body under the small blanket. His eyes registered the body of a very young boy! Aoto almost screamed at the top of his lungs in fear. "What the hell was going on?" If it wasn''t clear, then let me make it clear. The soul, the brain, the memories of the young child named Aoto had been replaced by Garfield. The child Aoto had died in its body and now Garfield just got isekai-d. ( I will refer to the child as Aoto itself) Aoto checked his body multiple times to make sure his eyes weren''t hallucinating. He really had replaced the mind of a boy and he didn''t know how he did so. "Did the meteor give me a new life? Do I have to live a life like those novels I read? Did I get a new chance in life?" As Aoto was trying to make sense of what was happening to him, a tall man with a white overcoat, carrying a stethoscope came and saw that boy had his eyes open. "Ah. Aoto-chan.. It seems you have woken up. Are you feeling alright? Do you feel pain?" "Uh... I am just feeling a strong headache doctor." "Oh! You were under rubble when we found you and a small head injury. It''s lucky that you didn''t sustain any other wound. Give it some time, you will do fine." "Thank you doctor." Aoto had replied to the doctor involuntarily and soon he realized that the language he was speaking was Japanese. He had watched enough Japanese anime to know what his own language was. Maybe because he had replaced the mind and body of another guy, it gave him the proficiency of another language. The doctor checked his body one more time before leaving. The doctor had little sadness in his eyes when he looked at the boy. This unlucky child had just lost both his parents in the unfortunate accident that had happened in the village. The Nine Tails had attacked the village the previous night and his family of commoners was one of the few casualties that were axed in this. The only person who was alive in this nuclear family of theirs was the young child. He didn''t give the boy the new information that his parents had died as he was still under trauma. It was better to lay down the information on him when the child felt better. Aoto finally understood what had happened to him. He had been isekai-d to a different place and time. He just didn''t know what kind of place this was. It took him a full 10 minutes of staring in blank space to gulp down what he had been shoved in his mouth. "I wanted an interesting life, meteor-ossan! Not a new life." Aoto thought about the part where he wished for the meteor. He was sure that that weird object from space was the reason behind his current predicament. Now all he had to do was to understand what kind of new world he had been pushed forward to. With those thoughts, his brain felt heavy and later just drifted off to sleep.
The next day. Aoto woke up feeling a sense of hunger and thirst. He wanted to shout to call for food, only to see that a glass bowl that had food and a glass of water had been laid on the nearby table. Without much thought, he took it on his lap and just munched down the food. After a few minutes of passing, he felt satiated. He took another look around and found that there were less people passing by as compared to the previous time he woke up, where he found few people walking in quick steps. "I wonder what kind of world this is? A magical world? No! The technology here is a little advanced and I didn''t see anyone with any special attire to denote the fact that this is a magical world. Maybe I have traveled back in time?" As if to answer such doubts, random memories suddenly got poured in on his head out of nowhere. He was barraged by loads of information in a matter of seconds. Aoto didn''t feel pain as the new information poured in, but it did make him uncomfortable for some time. It took a few minutes for him to digest all the information that had arrived and by the end he knew what kind of world this was in. One of the most unstable worlds Aoto had known. The world where people died left and right. A world where in a span of just 60 years there had been three massive wars, if that wasn''t unstable then he didn''t know what was. Even his old world had only suffered from two wars. There had been small scale wars among countries for sure but it didn''t have the instability of the current world. The world that he had arrived at was the world of shinobis or some people termed them as ninjas. A world that came from the drawing pencil of Masashi Kishimoto. Of course Aoto knew about this world because it was a world famous anime in his previous life. The anime which went by the name Naruto. A boy ostracised just because he had been sealed with the Nine tails inside him. The same Nine tails that had caused havoc a few nights ago and the reason he was in the hospital. From his memories, he knew that he had been a commoner and he was sent to a regular school. His parents had a normal bakery store in Konoha. He was a regular child who went to school on days and helped his parents with their shop by evening. They had almost a near perfect family, his father had come as a refugee during the 2nd Great Ninja War. He fell in love with another woman in the village and married her. And thus had him. But everything crumbled in one night. Konoha always gave people a sense of security, but this sense went down the drain with the attack. "At least I don''t have to go to the front lines ever." Aoto thought as he prayed for his deceased parents. They had gone out at night during the attack and this proved fatal for their family. Aoto almost had tears in his eyes thinking of his parents. He wasn''t sure for which parents he was more sad about. His dead parents or the ones he had left behind in his previous life. 2. You are not allowed to sell Aoto spent three more days in the Hospital. He was treated well by the doctors. There were basically two kinds of doctors. One who treated the commoners and the ones who treated the ninjas. Of course, the ninjas could also heal those who didn''t have chakras i.e., the commoners. Princess Tsunade had done a lot for the medical industry in Konoha. Especially in the department of injuries that might be sustained due to combat or related situations, which even included poison related injuries. This was a great advancement for the medical field in Konoha which had helped a lot in the battlefield for the village. But in these three days he had seen a lot. It took him time to digest the fact that he was in a different world just because he was struck by a meteor. But the reality dawned on him after some time and started accepting the fact that he didn''t have anywhere to go. He was hardly 12 years of age but the people around had already started treating him like an adult. His parents had died and there was nothing like orphanages here which would take care of him until 18 years or something. If there was an orphanage, then Naruto would have lived there instead of living alone and eating ramen everyday. The doctors had already told him about his parents which he had expected. He cried a lot the first day. Losing parents from both sides was a little hard for him. The only consolation was that his parents in the previous life were safe and he didn''t have any attachment to the parents of this life, except for the warm memories in his head. Finally he was discharged from the hospital with the forehead bandage being taken off. He didn''t heal completely but he didn''t require bandage anymore and could do without it. He was grateful that there was no damage to his body. Arriving at a new world with no power was already a curse. Having a scar on his body would just be cruel to him. He went through the roads with the help of past memories. The first thing he noticed was the Mount Rushmore type huge head sculpture on the steep mountains far away. The faces of the 4 Hokages were carved very beautifully on it. The majesty of this was breathtaking. But in between this majesty, there was destruction everywhere. Many houses, shops and buildings were in shambles. The Nine tails would do an awesome job if he was hired to demolish buildings in his previous life. People were evacuated during the fight but still there were casualties from both ninjas and commoners. Aoto passed through the roads with a little heavy heart. People were recovering from the assault and there was a sense of sadness and despair among the people that he passed. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Slowly and steadily he reached his home which was built just atop the shop. If he was a little sad before, seeing his home, he felt like crying a bit. The shops and roads at his home were safe and secure, but somehow a big chunk of rock had fallen over his home. This had destroyed a large part of his home. He stiffened at his place and his eyes were filled with tears. Though his mentality was that of a young man, at the end he had the memories of another life which did subtly affect his behavior. Aoto felt devastated. "Aoto, you are back? Are you okay? I tried to meet you in the hospital but they didn''t allow us." A voice came from behind. Aoto turned his head to look at the person who he recognized from the voice. The voice of young Ayame. Ayame was the daughter of the shop that was opposite to their current damaged bakery. The shop that was famous for those who watched anime, Ichiraku Ramen. Ayame was the daughter of Teuchi, the Ichiraku Ramen''s owner and its chef. Yup, Aoto''s bakery was just opposite to the famous Ichiraku Ramen shop and Aoto himself was great friends with Ayame. Even their parents had a good relationship with each other. "Sorry Ayame. I didn''t know that. I am fine now, just recovered." Ayame was sad looking at Aoto. She had already known about the death of his parents as she had seen their names in the deceased list. She had tried going to the hospital but she was denied for security reasons. Now that Aoto was back she was relieved. "Don''t worry Aoto. I know that your place was destroyed, so Dad has already told me that you can live with us once you return. You can stay with us until you rebuild your home." "No.. No... How can that be? I have some savings. I will just sell the land and move to a new place. I am sure I will be able to find a job meanwhile." "No.. Dad has strictly said to visit him after you return. Come with me." Ayame forcefully pulled him away from the street and took him to the back of Ichiraku ramen shop. Their home, like Aoto''s, was attached to the shop. After dragging him inside, Aoto met with Teuchi, the legendary ramen maker. "Aoto! You are back. Are you okay? I am sorry that we couldn''t come and meet you. Hokage-sama gave strict instructions against this." "It''s fine Uncle Teuchi. I have almost completely recovered." "How can that be? Take rest for a week here. You are not allowed to move." "No. Uncle, I have a lot to do. I will sell the land and the broken house and move to a new place." "How can that be? Your father made that shop from his sweat and blood. You are not allowed to sell that place. I know that you don''t like to be in debt, just like your father. But take money from me to rebuild the shop. You can return the money when you earn it back." "No, Uncle, that will be too much." "That is non-negotiable. I will not let my friend''s work just wash away after his death." Teuchi almost roared when he said that. 3. The system wakes up late at night Aoto didn''t know what he should do now. He didn''t want to take money from him to rebuild the bakery, but he also felt reluctant to let go of the shop since he had so many memories of this place from the previous soul. He had always known that Teuchi was a good man. He treated Naruto so well, even when the people of the village hated him for being the Jinchuriki. Such a personality was a rare one and his help for Aoto was genuine. But Aoto felt like he would be a burden and might not be able to return the money. At the end of the day, he was a 12 year old boy. What can he do to make profit and even return the money? His parents didn''t have much savings even after they toiled in the shop for a long time. Whatever they had, was used in buying the land in such a great place and making a house with a shop where they used their own money. He wasn''t sure if he could continue the legacy of his ''dead'' parents. "Uncle, can I think again on this. I need time to think about what I want to do from now on." "Okay. I know that you are sad. But I really hope you don''t let go of the place you were brought up in. Go. There is a guest room on the side. I had already bought some clothes from your old home. You can wear them." Teuchi said. "Thank you Uncle. Thank you." Aoto bowed down in order to show his appreciation for helping him in this tough time. He wasn''t sure if he would take the money for rebuilding the shop, but for now at least he had a roof over his head. He then proceeded to let go of the torn clothes that he was wearing from the attack and bathed. After getting ready he came to the kitchen to help Uncle in making food. "Why are you here? I told you to take a rest." "But Uncle, I can''t be just a freeloader." "You eat so little, your portion is nothing in comparison to Ayame. You don''t have to care about that." "Dad, are you saying that I am fat?" Ayame, who was nearby, asked with a very serious tone. "No.. No.. My sweet daughter. I am saying that your friend here eats less than you. His metabolism seems to be like those of birds." Teuchi almost made a mistake by calling his daughter fat. Aoto listening to their conversation just smiled. It was the first time he smiled after coming here. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Aoto then sat nearby while he just watched Teuchi cooking lunch for them. The sizzling sounds in the pot, the chirping of the birds from the trees outside the window, Teuchi''s occasional jokes helped in calming the disturbed mood of Aoto. After lunch, Aoto felt a little weak and so he excused himself to go and have an afternoon nap. The emotional turmoil was too much for him and he needed a rest. Ayame and Teuchi also didn''t disturb him and just let him be as he was. They also realized that the sweet little boy who always had a smile on his face had changed. He was a completely different person after coming back from the hospital but that was understandable. Someone of his age who had everything a few nights ago lost too much in one single night. His parents died and now even his home was wrecked. Such trauma doesn''t just vanish away. Aoto in his previous life was a light sleeper and here too it was the same. He hadn''t been able to sleep well in the hospital but now that there was silence, he slept soundly. So much so that he woke up late in the evening. "Uncle, why didn''t you wake me up?" Aoto was ashamed that he had slept so much and didn''t contribute anything. "I told you to take a rest for a week. You will not work or do anything." Teuchi was adamant on this. "But Uncle, the doctor said that I only have a small wound on the back of my head. Nothing serious. I ... '''' Aoto wanted to explain how he got injured but stopped. The whole situation that time was full of panic and despair and he felt bad whenever he tried to recall that night. Teuchi seemed to understand this and just placed his hand on Aoto''s shoulder and said. "You can help me in making the noodles if you want. It might help you in your craft when you open the shop." Aoto nodded his head. After that the three sat together and ate their dinner while Teuchi and Ayame tried their best to make Aoto feel comfortable and not remember the past. Aoto was thankful about it. After having a little more conversation with the duo, he went back to his room. 12 am. Since he had overslept in the afternoon, it became difficult for him to go back to sleep. Out of boredom he slowly tiptoed to the door. He couldn''t sit and just watch the wooden ceiling. He was a man from the modern era so having no smartphones or TV was frustrating for him. After making sure that he didn''t wake Teuchi and Ayame up, he got out. The first thing that welcomed him was the bright moon overhead, lighting up the vacant street and the houses. His eyes were attracted to his destroyed home. The only thing Aoto could hear were some insects from far off distance and some fireflies flying around. With a heavy heart he approached the shop and stood in front of it. He really wanted to make the old shop back at its peak but he didn''t know how. It was at that moment he heard a sound. [ Welcome to the Dimensional Shopkeeper system. Would you like to bind the original shop of the previous owner of the body as your shop? ] 4. This is invasion of privacy Aoto almost jumped on the spot listening to that robotic lady voice in his ears. No, it was not in his ears. It was in his mind that he had heard the voice. He didn''t scream out in fear but rather was a little relieved. He had read and watched countless anime with isekai tropes and almost all of them had some kind of power or systems given to them. Some of them were too OP like the slime one, while some of them were just average. But most of them were always shown as given some power. After he came to know that he had transmigrated, he tried checking to see if there was any such help or powers that could help him in this regard. But after two days of searching for his powers and mindlessly talking to himself in the washroom in order to call his non-existent power, he gave up. For that reason he had given up on the thoughts of struggling among the higher levels of the society and just decided to be a commoner. He was a person from modern times and he was pretty sure that some of his skills would be very helpful for the society and would just provide himself a comfortable life. But that voice in his head was the call that might just take him on a different journey. "Is it you system-sama?" Aoto asked with proper etiquette and reverence. He didn''t want to piss it off in the start itself and make his life hard. He had seen many protagonists do that and then suffer at the hands of the system. [ It is I, dear host. The Dimensional Shopkeeper system. Would you like to bind the shop? ] "What does this binding mean?" Aoto was confused as he heard again about it. [ Host, I am a Dimensional Shopkeeper system and for enabling my functions you must have a Shop under your name. The shop in front is under your name and it is suitable for the host. ] "So binding this shop will enable me to open your functions?" [ Yes, Host ] "Bind the shop." [ Shop binding in progress... Shop is bound to the host. The shop is 80 percent damaged. Not suitable for opening it with the current condition. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Opening emergency measures.... Providing the host with 100,000 ryo, the currency of the present world, to repair the shop and open it. The money had been delivered in the bag of the host that he had been carrying. This help is free for the host and doesn''t need the host to return back the money. ] "What?" Aoto was ecstatic hearing this and without wasting another moment he went back to his room to see if what the system said was true or not. After opening his rugged bag, he wanted to laugh. There was really 100,000 ryo in his bag. In his previous life he had never been given such a huge amount of money in one swipe. Sure, he did land himself a great job, but in the end he was frugal and spent it with care, saving for rainy days and he had just started with his job. And now he had received such a huge amount of money without even working for it. Aoto was really thankful about it and this would be more than enough to repair the shop. "System, what are your functions?" Aoto was excited and wanted to know more. [ Host the System has many functions but if it is categorized then it can be done with the following points
  1. First and foremost, the host needs to sell items and gain profit. Half of the earnings will be taken by the system and with the other half, the host can buy things from the dimensional shop that belongs to different worlds and dimensions which will depend upon a lottery.
  2. The host can open up branches of the shop which can provide services to the customers. These services may belong to different sectors of a society like medical facility, entertainment industry, transport and logistics department and many other sectors where the host can sell and earn from these services.
  3. The shopkeeper is the manager of the shop and it is impossible to have knowledge and expertise to all the departments and thus the host can avail the services and help from different people in different worlds. The host can hire them and make them work for the host.
] "Eh? From what I can understand, it is basically a system that helps me earn money and give myself a good life?" [ You are quite intelligent, host. ] Aoto wanted to curse at the sarcasm of the system but stopped himself. He thought the system will give him powers but it seemed like there was nothing of that sort. It was just a plain sell and buy system. [ You can gain powers from different dimensions depending upon luck. ] "You.. You can read my thoughts." [ The system is bound to the host in his mind so it''s very stupid to think that the system can''t read the thoughts of the host, ] "Hey.. That is a violation of privacy." Aoto felt very uncomfortable as he had been a loner in his previous life and now there was something who could listen to him. Did it mean that he would have to forget any thoughts for opposite gender? [ The Host if wishes can switch the system off to enjoy life in privacy and bring it back on when required. ] "That''s better!" Aoto was relieved to hear that. At least he would have his own privacy. But then he remembered what the system had said before and asked with a trembling voice. "Do I get power by selling things?" [ It depends upon the luck of the Host. It can be a useless power power or it can be a universe destroying power. ] "I will be selling things and earning money. How does that have anything to do with luck? With more money I should get more power." 5. This Uncle cares a lot about me [ The system is named as Dimensional Shopkeeper system. Not the ''Ruling the world'' system. ] "I don''t want to rule the world. I just want peace here. I should have enough power to safeguard myself." [ Then I wish good luck to the host. ] Aoto didn''t speak anymore and just decided to stop talking with the system and switched it off in order to manage his thoughts. Though he complained a bit, in his heart he was happy. Having such an easy going system was better than the systems that he had read which gave the protagonists many missions to complete and get their life in danger. He didn''t like anything that would make his life fall in danger. He actively avoided any kind of serious confrontation in his previous life and stayed away from troubles. In this life too he would love to live a comfortable life, but this whole world would probably not want him to live life safely. That was not even taking into account the fact that Nagato would come in the future to destroy everything that he was going to build. Sure, if everything went good, he would be brought to life but who would want to die in the first place and let his life''s work get destroyed. So his first choice would be to make sure that he had got enough power to safeguard himself. He was only grumbling on the fact that this power gaining would only depend on his luck. "Me landing here safely was also a kind of luck and that meteor-ossan too. Hope my luck is good enough to safeguard myself." Aoto didn''t think more on this and just lied down on the futon at the floor. He was now trying to recall everything that he had known from the anime and manga of Naruto and make his plans accordingly. His eyelids became heavy slowly and he drifted off to sleep. The next day. Aoto woke up a little late as he had slept a bit later at night. He freshened himself and went to look for Uncle Teuchi. He needed to discuss the repair. He found him in the kitchen making noodles for the Ichiraku Ramen shop. "Uncle, Good morning." "Good morning. How was the sleep? I made some steamed rice with Miso soup and fish for breakfast. Ayame is out buying some groceries for the shop." This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Oh. Thank you Uncle." Aoto was hungry early in the morning and gobbled up the delicious food Uncle had made. Japanese style breakfast was a delicacy of its own, at least it was better than the cereals and milk of his previous life. After finishing it with relish he cleaned himself and spoke to Uncle. "Uncle, yesterday night I went back to the secret storehouse of my home and I found quite a bit of money. We can use that money to repair my home and shop." Uncle Teuchi, who had been happily slicing up the dough to make the noodles, stopped and looked with a little horror in his eyes. "Aoto, how could you do that? Don''t you know that there is a curfew at night imposed by the 3rd Hokage? What would have happened if you were caught by the ninjas? That house of yours could just break down at any given moment and you went in?. How could you take that risk after coming from the hospital? Don''t you care for your own life that your parents had tried to save?" Aoto didn''t expect such a violent reaction from Uncle. It was just a harmless lie anyway and he didn''t think much of it when he spoke. "No wonder there were not a single men in the streets. So there was a curfew." Aoto mumbled. "Promise me Aoto that you will never go out at night. If the ninjas come and take you away I will not be able to save you." "Uncle, I am just a commoner plus I just stepped a few steps away from the shop. It should not warrant such violent reactions." "Whatever be the case. Don''t do that again. You promise me!" "I promise." ".... Did you really find money in your home?" Teuchi asked with skepticism in his eyes as he remembered what Aoto had said in the beginning. "Yes. I always knew that my parents had been saving money in a secret locker. So I went there to check if it was still there. I found some money after opening it." "This is great. Now you better not leave the bakery and make it your own." "Uncle I only know very little of the bakery and I only helped my mother in menial tasks. I am not sure I am up for it." Aoto said as he really wasn''t sure that if he was up for baking and he was here to sell things, not make things with his own hands. "You don''t have to worry about it. I will help you. In the morning I don''t have much work anyways." "No, Uncle, you are already helping me so much. I will see what I can do." "Aoto, I have already told you that I will not let your parents memory fade away." *Sigh!* This uncle was really adamant. "How much do we need to repair the whole shop?" Teuchi looked through the window towards the damaged house once again and said after quite a bit of thinking. "25,000 ryo would do the job I think." "Great. Uncle I will provide 30,000 ryo. Is that enough?" "Do you really have such a huge amount of money?" "Trust me and I hope that the house will be brand new." "With 30,000 you will have more than enough." "Thank you. I don''t know anything about the construction company here. Can you help me?" "Of course. Since you already have the money we can go to Konoha Construction Inc. to put an order. Let me finish making the noodles." Aoto was happy to hear that and proceeded to help him in his making. Uncle was broad minded enough to let him help even though there was a chance that he might steal his recipe. Teuchi really trusted Aoto a lot. 6. New home After finishing their work they went to the Konoha Construction Inc. to ask for men to repair their shop. Reaching their office Aoto got to know how deep Konoha was hurt due to the attack. Men, women, children which included many ninja families too were in queue outside the door. All of them had a sad face and many of them seemed like they would break down at any given moment. It was here Aoto realized why Tailed Beasts and Jinchurikis were hated. The common folks needed a place to vent and it came in the form of hatred towards young Jinchurikis. Gaara, Naruto, Killer Bee... Nobody was spared. It was a really sad state of events. After being in line with Teuchi for half an hour they ask to send men. The total money required to renovate and upgrade the shop would cost a total of 27,500 ryo. 500 was extra at the end because Aoto asked for immediate work as he already knew that if he waited for a long time it would be a little awkward for him. He was not the previous Aoto so he feared that staying with Teuchi for a long time might make him spill out some secrets involuntarily or some habits that might rub the wrong way. He was an American citizen in his past life and didn''t know much about Japanese habits. Memories would help him but memory and habit wasn''t the same thing. He would have to cultivate it. Expectedly, Teuchi wanted Aoto to save the money but he said that he wanted to see his old home built soon. After paying half of the money upfront they left. The Construction Company was really efficient and even hired some ninjas for this job. It was here that Aoto saw these ninjas at work and finally understood why they stood aloof from normal society. These beings were able to make the work fast and efficiently. Taking woods to the top of the building? Done! Helping in hammering and cutting the woods 10 feet up the ground? No problem. The ninjas had probably taken this job in lieu of the mission that each ninja team was supposed to take after they passed out from the ninja school. Aoto looked at these ninjas with awe. He had read the manga, watched the anime but had never expected to see these ninjas working their ''magic''. He was a normal guy in his previous life so this was ''superpower shit'' for him. "Sad that I never got admitted in the ninja school nor do I have a chakra. I wonder if the system will give me something that has sufficient power to fight against them." The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. His home was destroyed so it would take some time to repair it to the full state and that includes upgrades too. The person managing the repair had already asked for plans and Aoto, after thinking a lot, asked to have three separate rooms in his house. The land was quite big and their home was on the upper level so it had enough space. Before they only had two rooms but now there would be 3 with almost equal amount of space per room. It was already afternoon when the work had started so the workers couldn''t work for much time. It was more of taking an inspection of the home and making some arrangements. IT didn''t matter to Aoto, this wasn''t going to too much time anyways as the Company had guaranteed him to finish the work in 3 days. By evening Teuchi opened his Ichiraku Ramen and people came running towards the shop. Seeing the number of people, both Ayame and Aoto helped Teuchi. Aoto was responsible for delivering the Ramen to the customers. The aroma filled the entire shop and Aoto had to admit that this aroma was enough to make even a person who was on a strict diet to break his vow and go for the cheat meal. Apparently, this was the first time Ichiraku Ramen opened after the incident and they had missed the Ramen of this shop. Just smelling the aroma from the Ramen, Aoto didn''t blame the customers, though the general environment in the shop was still depressing. Many people have lost their loved ones and some were just in hospital in critical condition. This was a nightmare for the village. But at the end Teuchi made quite a profit from what he could calculate and he was happy that he was able to help and just not be a freeloader. Aoto continued to help Teuchi in his shop for the next 3 days. He helped him in making the noodles, cutting the meat which he had to learn from the ground up. Teuchi was patient in explaining that slicing the meat in appropriate sizes were important as they were important in infusing proper taste when it was cooked. Aoto had to take a whole new journey with Teuchi in this but he was glad that his Uncle was quite open in sharing his craft. For that he respected Teuchi more. 3 days had passed by and finally on the morning of the 4th day Aoto moved out from Teuchi''s home to his brand new home. The shop was still like the previous one with a display meant for keeping bread. It was like any other ordinary bread shop. The upgrade that Aoto asked for was having a glass door and window panes made of glass. He wanted to make it as modern as possible in the current times. And one could reach the higher floor through a staircase which was both inside the shop which was in the room behind the counter and another staircase from where people could reach from outside. His new home had three well built rooms with two bathrooms and a kitchen. The previous night Aoto had to spend more 2000 ryo to buy himself household items like kitchen utensils, futons, and other such items. As he entered his new room he felt a sense of relief. He was finally alone again and free with what he needed to do. 7. Weed! Are you sure? "So now I will have to adapt to this new lifestyle." Aoto thought. There were major cultural differences between his previous life and his new one. Living at Teuchi''s home made him realize many new things and at times he definitely felt awkward. If it was not for the memories he would have definitely not known some minute things required to live in a Japanese type society. But now that he would be living alone, there was no such burden. But the burden would fall on him in a different way. "System, now that the shop is ready, how do I proceed?" [ The host needs to sell items from different worlds which will be obtained after starting a lottery. Once a particular item is chosen from the lottery, the host needs to sell it and obtain money. The system will take away half the profit. The system will not put a price cap of the sold items and the host can put whatever price it wants to put. There are particular points that the host has to keep in mind. 1. The system will only provide the first batch of items for free and the rest host would have to buy from real money in order to get access to more batches of the item that was chosen from the lottery. For example, if the host gets access to AK-47 from the lottery, the system will provide 5 medium sized crates containing 10 AK-47 each. If the host wants to buy more AK-47 later, he would have to pay up. 2. The profit margin will only be counted when the host sells items from the system. The current host has some proficiency in making bread and whatever profit is earned by the host from this will not be counted. If the host''s lottery ends up landing on bread, only then the profit earned by bread will be counted. If the host gets access to jelly and the host decides on making his own jelly too, both of the items will be considered when counting the profit. Disclaimer : the things made by the host and his subordinates must be up to the mark for the system or else it wouldn''t be considered as items which came from the system. 3. The host has decided to bind the current shop as the main shop and thus a distance of 50 metres radius around the shop is exclusive for the host and is invincible in this exclusive space. Nothing can touch the host if it is initiated with malice towards the host or his subordinates. ] Aoto didn''t care about the other things. The only thing that attracted his eyes was the ''invincible'' part. A 50 metre radius of exclusive space that belonged to him. Nothing would be able to touch him. This was a huge matter for Aoto. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "System, is there a way to make the radius of protection much larger?" [ Yes. By upgrading the shop. ] "How do I do that?" [ The host has a long way to go in order to upgrade the shop. It is advised that the host start the business at the beginning and not reach for the skies in one shot. ] "C''mon. At least give me a hint. I have been a good boy." Aoto pleaded multiple times only to get zero answer from the system. "Fine .. Fine.. Be mum. At least start the lottery for me." His last words made the silent system wake up from slumber. Aoto was thrusted towards a white space. His surroundings changed as Aoto felt he was taken into a totally different dimension which had nothing but the color white and surprisingly the white color wasn''t being harmful to the eyes of Aoto. "This system seems powerful. It can even change the surroundings." Aoto thought [ The system is the most powerful thing the host has ever seen in his life. ] "Sorry for doubting you." Aoto looked at his feet as he said that. Aoto noticed that there was a white wheel. The wheel was divided by 8 portions with the help of a thin black line and on each section there was a question mark. "What is this?" [ This is the wheel of the lottery and the host needs to rotate it with speed enough to complete at least one full rotation. ] "But I can''t see the items on the wheel. How will I know what are the items that are up in the lottery?" [ It depends on the luck of the host. And since it is the first time for the host, the host gets two chance on the lottery ] Aoto didn''t complain anymore and just walked to the wheel. After praying for his good luck, he rotated the wheel with all his strength. Since he didn''t know what were the items that he would get, it was better to let his luck decide. The wheel rotated multiple times before the pointer that was in the middle of the wheel landed on a question mark. The question slowly faded away and revealed the first item that his luck had decided for him. Aoto jumped on his feet seeing the first item, not out of happiness. But solely out of horror! "System you are kidding. Right?" [ The system has no such function of pulling pranks on the host. ] "You want me to sell this? Are you crazy?" [ It was luck that decided the item to be sold. Not the system. The host will get initial 50 crates of the item with each crate containing 50 items of it. ] The system didn''t bother to argue and manifested 50 medium sized crates in front of him. The crates didn''t look big but each one had a label marked on them. The drawing was of a plant. A plant that was famous among teenagers and even young adults in his previous life. This item was banned in many countries in his previous life but in some it was legal to conduct business on this plant. The plant was Cannabis! The system has pulled a huge prank on Aoto and had sent Cannabis cigarettes to sell as the first item. 8. Was weed not enough? Aoto was back in his closed room on his futon. He now had a huge headache. He was sure that there was nothing called Canabis in this world as of yet. Maybe such things were in the fillers or maybe not, he had always actively avoided the fillers of Naruto in his previous life because he always thought that those fillers were not canon. But as of now his memories didn''t have any remembrance of weed in the society and this was his trump card. Since there was nothing like this before, he could take advantage of it but also will have to make sure that a particular customer could never get his hands on too many cigarettes. "System, how do I get access to the crates?" [ There is an inventory that is associated with which you will have access to always. Only the shop items can be placed in the inventory. No items that are not delivered by the system will be entertained in its inventory. ] "And here I thought I will get some kind of storage bag." Aoto didn''t think much as he called for a crate in his mind. A crate appeared near him out of thin air as it materialized. The crate was wooden and it had a lid that could be opened easily. After opening the crate his eyes were finally met with the items that were supposed to be sold. He was thinking that the cigarettes would come in just like the normal cigarettes in his previous life, but no, the weed came in the form of a single joint inside of a chocolate colored box which had a transparent plastic over it and thus one could look inside the single joint from outside. For a weed, this looked too sophisticated. He had seen such an arrangement before only in costly cigars. The system wasn''t really playing games with him when it delivered him. Just from the packaging he could say that these joints were definitely of high quality. There was another lottery still left, so he again went back to the system to try his luck. The white circular wheel was again near his eyes and he again rotated it. He rotated it this time with proper prayer. One rotation had given him weed, he didn''t need another thing that could jeopardise him. The pointer stopped at one random question mark. The question mark again got erased and was replaced by a jar. A jar which had a viscous reddish color fluid. And on the label of the jar, there were two words written. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Mad honey. Aoto felt like punching the system when he read that label. One wasn''t enough, now there was another! Fuck!! Mad honey, a type of honey that was almost exclusively produced in an Asian country called Nepal. A type of honey that was once used for healing purposes and it could even be used as an alternative therapy against gastrointestinal disorders (peptic ulcer disease, dyspepsia, and gastritis). But as time went by people had found another use of it. This type of honey could be used like an aphrodisiac. If the dose was taken in a little higher dosage it could give people an otherworldly feeling just like weed or other drugs depending upon the dosage. But as was the nemesis of all drugs known to men, this thing on a much higher dosage could lead to unconsciousness, dizziness, vomiting and even death. Aoto knew of this because he once followed Yes Theory videos on YouTube and the people from this YouTube channel had spoken of this. Unbeknownst of Aoto, 50 crates had already appeared near him. "System, is this some kind of joke? I can understand the weed part but what the fuck is this? How am I going to sell this?" [ The host can sell it to the hospitals. This thing has healing properties and can help the patients. ] "But I don''t know the dosage required for this. This thing is more dangerous than the previous one." In response to Aoto, a sheet of paper appeared in his hands out of nowhere. [ Since this is a little dangerous thing and looking at the weak figure of the host, the system has decided to help the host seeing his poor luck. The piece of paper contains all the information about the dosage required for the ailments that the item received by the host can cure. ] "Thank you.. Thank you." Aoto was almost in tears hearing that. He never expected that the system to be generous enough to even share the knowledge required. This would be a great help for Aoto. Now that the problem of mad honey was solved, it was time to go back to the real world. After coming to the real world, he went straight to work. This establishment was known for making bread so that was what he was going to do. Teuchi had offered his help for a few days in order to see if he was good at making it. He was only a young kid and he would definitely need some help, especially in the start. Teuchi had learnt some craft from his deceased friend of bread making and thus he could give his hands in it. Of course, Aoto refused his help at the beginning as he thought it would be too much for Teuchi but he insisted on it. He went into work immediately in the kitchen. The previous night he had already brought the flour, sourdough starter which was a combination of wild yeast and bacteria, and even the proper utensils required for making bread. In his previous life he did make bread once or twice but never gave full concentration to it, but today he would have to combine all the knowledge and experience he had of two memories and start making the dough. He would have to work his ass off making bread. He started with what he knew of making bread going for the flour, the sourdough starter and water. Making a proper dough was essential and thus he was taking his time with it. 9. First sale "Aoto, you should always look at the room temperature. Your father was very particular about it." "I am trying to keep the temperature as moderate as possible uncle." Aoto said as Teuchi gave him some of his own insights about the bread making and what he had seen from Aoto''s father. The previous Aoto didn''t pay much heed to bread making and just followed what his mom had asked him to do and he happily played the part of son who helped his parents. Bread making took a lot of time. Aoto was having a little anxiety with his first batch of bread making. He was waiting for it to be ready to be placed in a newly built bigger oven which he had asked to be exclusively built for all purposes. He wasn''t sure what he would have to make later so he asked for better bread. By afternoon the bread was ready. And finally it was time to ope the shop. Ayame had helped him in decorating the shop properly for having a better opening. The glass panes of the shop were filled with various decorations made of wild white colored flowers that she had brought from the forests nearby. Not all the forests around Konoha were as deadly as the one from the Chunin exams, some didn''t have that many dangerous animals and the common men and women were allowed to go without any supervision. Aoto was expecting the worst as he had opened the shop. But he was surprised to see that people had come to buy. The people around had already known that the shop had suffered a devastating blow a few days ago and they knew that now the shop had only one child left who was going to take care of it. They had come to buy bread and hoped to support the boy who had just gone through a trauma and was trying to earn an honest money. Teuchi and Ayame made sure that the people around would know of what had happened to him. They might be very trustworthy people but that doesn''t mean that they knew nothing of business tactics. The word had got around and people came in in quite a number. "Aoto-chan, it''s nice to see you. How are you holding up?" "Aoi-san... Welcome to the shop. I am doing better. Same as old? Two loaves of bread?" "Yes. Two loaves. Don''t put too much pressure on yourself Aoto-chan. You can take it slow." If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Aoto packed the bread on a wrapper and said while taking out a joint from the crate. "I will be fine Aoi-san. Since it is the first day of my business, I am also giving away a free new kind of cigarette. This one has been personally made by me." "Cigarette?" Aoi was taken aback by this sudden free gift. "Yes. I might not have much knowledge about making bread so I am hoping that people will like my other products too." "You can make cigarettes? Do you know the composition of tobacco?" Aoi took a look at the encased joint wrapped quite well. He could see that packing was done well and the small joint inside was unique. The tobacco inside looked green and the paper that wrapped it was a little translucent. "Don''t worry Aoi-san, I have done proper research. I have been learning about them for quite a long time and it''s made perfectly fine. You might feel a little light after taking it though so please take care of it." "I trust you Aoto-chan. You already know I am a heavy smoker and hope that this is as good as you claim it to be. Hahaha..." Aoi didn''t mind the gift. He knew what Aoto was doing. Aoto was new in this business and he wasn''t sure if the bread business could hold on to it and so he was trying new things. Aoto was known to be a good child and since he had claimed that this was done after proper research, it must be so. He left after taking the free gift and the two loaves of bread. Ayame, who had been helping him at the counter, was a little surprised. "Aoto, when did you make such things? I have never seen you smoke. You are too young to smoke." "I know Ayame. I still don''t smoke but when I made this before I have tried to inhale and I am sure that this was pretty fine." Aoto replied in a whisper. His age was still too young to legally smoke so he had to come up with a lie. The police was still under the Uchiha Clan and he didn''t think that these arrogant ninjas would care for a commoner like him who smoked a little too early. "Are you sure that this is fine?" "Don''t worry Ayame. I have everything in control." Aoto and Ayame talked in whispers and continued selling loaves of bread. Aoto was writing the names of the customers to whom he was giving the free gifts. If everything went well and the people tried it, they would definitely be back for more and then he could earn money from the weed. He wanted to write the names because he wanted to make sure that a particular customer didn''t consume too much weed. In a week 5 or 6 should do fine at the maximum and nothing more than that. This thing in the future would definitely raise some eyebrows from the ninjas and they would come to investigate. He wanted to spread it to people as moderately as possible. This would help him a lot in the future as he wouldn''t be labelled as someone who would do anything to gain profit and whoever responsible for maintaining the public security and safety didn''t just accuse him of selling illicit products to harm the citizens of the village. He for sure wanted to earn a lot of profit after selling these items but the system has provided such a thing that it would be definitely suspicious if he sold to the common men in too much quantity. 10. Rock-paper-scissors Aoi and Takeo had been living through a tough life this week. They were two of the construction workers who had been working hard. The Kyuubi''s attack was a brutal one and they had been assigned to regular assignments all over the village. In fact the repair of Aoto''s shop was also done by them. They had been brought up in this neighbourhood and had been buying bread from them since they had known of the shop. So when the shop was asked for repair, Aoi and Takeo without any hesitation took the job on their shoulders and helped the child build their shop again. When Aoto first opened the shop, both of them had gone to buy the bread made by the child. They didn''t really care about the quality of the bread. Aoto''s father had lent them bread many times when they were children and they didn''t forget that. Now that his child was on the other side it was necessary for them to lend a hand. In fact they didn''t want any payment either, but apparently Aoto had already paid the full amount upfront. After a hard day they had returned home and since it was weekend the next day both of them had got together to have some fun. Takeo had brought a bottle of sake with him to have some fun. Aoi''s home had a small campfire in his very small courtyard. This house belonged to Aoi''s father who had died a few years ago and Aoi took over the house and looked after his mother. "You again brought a cheap sake, Takeo? You don''t have any shame?" "Aoi, this sake is not cheap. I paid 100 ryo for this. You brought the last one which was 80 ryo. I paid higher." "This is 100 ryo? Did someone scam you?" Aoi said while looking at the label. The price written was 100 ryo but Aoi couldn''t believe it because the bottle looked old. Sake wasn''t like wine which could be aged so an old looking sake was bad for them. "Why does this look old?" "How do I know?" Both Aoi and Takeo were actually ranting nonsensically and were nothing but useless arguments between friends. They sat around the campfire with sake and some Tebasaki (Japanese styled chicken wings) for appetizers. While drinking for a bit, Aoi took out the ''cigarette'' that he had been gifted before by Aoto. Looking at Aoi, Takeo, who had brought it with himself, opened the wrap. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "That child had grown up. Even selling such a thing." "What can you say? His parents died, I am sure he is in debt repairing the shop, so he needed to do some odd jobs. If this thing is good, we can buy from him and help him in his debt." "Of course." Both of them had assumed that Aoto was in some kind of debt after he repaired the shop and thus they were helping him in any way they could. Aoi and Takeo didn''t think much and lit the joint and puffed. What they didn''t expect was that it wasn''t tobacco. They both had been smoking for quite a long time so they already knew how the smoke of tobacco was but it was nothing like that. But then again, the smoke wasn''t and so they puffed more than a couple of times. At first there was no effect, but soon they felt a relief. A relief that coursed through their body. Doing construction work the whole day was tiring for the body so when they felt all the pain and soreness subsided, they felt ecstatic and exhilarated. This was something else! "What is this?" Aoi was shaken by what just happened. "Did this cigarette do that?" Both Aoi and Takeo were sober enough at that point to know that the sake wasn''t giving them this form of relief but the unique cigarette. "Takeo, are you feeling what I am feeling?" "This is amazing. All the pain had gone away. Oh man! This is awesome." Without another stop they started puffing the smoke in regular intervals while also drinking sake. This was their first time smoking a joint so they got high pretty quickly. At first it was only pain relief which made them more than happy. But later many things came with it. They felt an intense urge to eat some munchies and the Tebasaki wasn''t enough so Takeo had to go back and bring more. And even then this wasn''t enough. Aoi had to bring some fried tempura which had gone cold but they still went for it. Since this was their first time with weed and that too they had consumed with sake, they felt dizzy and were having hallucinations. "Oye Aoi, you know that I had a thing for Hina-chan in school." "Really?" "Yeah. And then you asshole went to ask her out. I wanted the beat the shit out of you." "I only went with her for one time." "Still wanted to beat you." "Do you still want to beat me up?" "Yes. Definitely." "Okay let''s see who wins." Anyone else listening to the conversation would think that these two guys were too drunk and were on the verge of having a fight. But no, these two wanted to settle the debate in the most unique way possible. Rock-paper-scissor! "This will be decided in a 5-match.." "Let''s go bitch. Let''s see who wins." "Rock-paper-scissor.." "Rock-paper-scissor.." They proceeded to play for 5 matches but they were so high that they couldn''t remember how many each of the two had won and thus they again started the 5 - match deal. By that time they couldn''t realize that both of them were too high. After this episode of rock-paper-scissors and realizing that they couldn''t even remember they lost the zeal to continue the fight and decided on a draw. But this wasn''t the end. After they started dancing around the campfire and singing in a jolly mood. Aoi''s mother had already noticed that these two were too high to function and dragged both of them inside to let them sleep. 11. Zach Galifanakis, Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms Such an incident wasn''t anything unique for this household. Such instances happened in multiple homes. Of course it wasn''t as bad as Aoi and Takeo as they weren''t the ones who smoked it while drinking sake. The others had other kinds of reactions. Almost all of them felt instant relief and most of them got high after smoking the whole thing. It lasted for 1 to 5 hours for people depending upon their tolerance. Aoi and Takeo woke up quite late in the morning. They were both sleeping beside each other as Aoi''s mother had dragged them to a big futon in Aoi''s bedroom. Aoi woke up seeing that he didn''t have a shirt on him and when he looked at his side he saw Takeo also shirtless under the blanket. This scene made him go into full panic mode. He was trying his best to remember what had happened the previous night and everything came up blank. All he could remember was smoking that cigarette and after that everything went pitch dark. But that wasn''t the issue here. He was fearing the worst! Anyone who saw half naked men in the same bed would definitely think something was up between them. "Oye Takeo, wake up.. Takeo.." "Umm.. What? Let me sleep some more. Today is a weekend." "Shut up and see where you are." Aoi almost shouted at Takeo. That shout was enough to make Takeo open his eyes. At first he didn''t understand why his friend was shouting but then the first thing that seemed odd was that he was shirtless. And then the realization dawned on him that he was in a different room. Slowly everything came back to him and just like Aoi, he panicked after seeing himself. They looked at each other in horror. "Oye Aoi, what the fuck is going on?" "I am asking the same question. What the hell happened?" "..." "..." As they looked at each other, Aoi''s mom listening to the shout of Aoi came and opened the door. Both Aoi and Takeo almost jumped up from the bed. At this vulnerable time, they didn''t want any other person to see them in this way and Aoi was even ready to tackle the person who had just barged him just so that he could shut the person up. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. But stopped seeing his mom. Both Aoi and Takoe felt awkward and didn''t know what they should say. They didn''t know what had happened the previous night and were trying to understand what was going on. "What are you kids looking at me with weird eyes? Get dressed up. You both don''t have any tolerance for alcohol." "Uhh. Mom, did you bring us here? What happened last night?" "Last night you both were busy drinking and singing. At the end you both started to throw sake at each other before passing out. Who the hell throws costly sake at each other? No sake for the next 2 months. I had already washed your shirts. Go and wear them." Aoi''s mom was really annoyed the previous night when she saw this. Of course she had to take the shirts off from both of these grown ass men. She felt like she was back to those days when her son was a child and had to look after him. She didn''t know that both Aoi and Takeo were really happy to know what had happened. They were expecting the worst but what she said made them sigh in huge relief. This meant that everything was fine. "Aoi, what did that child give us? I have never been so drunk before that I can''t even remember what had happened." "Are you sure it was that cigarette? And not that cheap sake." "No sake was ever made to make us that way." "True.. True. So it must be that cigarette. Was that drugs?" "It might be like drugs. Is the child so much in debt that he is selling drugs?" "Don''t accuse him when we know nothing of the true picture. Maybe because we smoked it with the sake it made us more drunk. We will have to ask Aoto-chan." "Yes, today we will definitely go but first I need to freshen up. I really smell like sake." "Yeah me too." Both Aoi and Takeo then went to their respective bathrooms of their own houses to wash themselves and have a clean bath. They also realized that they had a headache and they needed to eat something to soothe the pain. -- After 12 pm. Aoto again opened the shop after working the whole day. Like yesterday, Teuchi came and helped him in making bread. Today he fared better than yesterday, as he took care of many things and wasn''t ignorant. Teuchi also commented on that. And thus after making the bread, he sat at the counter where Ayame joined too. Few regular customers came and some of them said that the bread was better than they expected which brought a smile to his face. He didn''t give the cigarette to all the customers, only to those who he thought would be able to handle the weed after going through his previous memories. He was expecting people to come and ask about the cigarette but nobody came until Aoi and Takeo came running to his shop after an hour of opening the shop. "Aoto-chan, what did you give us yesterday?" Takeo and Aoi were pretty much shivering when they asked him. They feared that Aoto had gone the wrong path and might be selling drugs, though they had never heard of any drugs that could make a person high with just smoking. "Oh.. Aoi -san welcome back. Why? Was there anything wrong with the gift I gave?" "We smoked it yesterday when we were drinking sake and we got super drunk. Was it something bad?" Aoto stiffened when he heard that. When he sold the weed he forgot to mention some precautions while taking it. It might be very helpful for PTSD and give relief to the one who was smoking but if it was smoked while drinking alcohol, it might lead to a Hangover movie. 12. Addictive weed "What.. What happened? What did you do?" Aoto-san was a little scared. It was quite ignorant of him to sell such items and not speak of the conditions and precautions. This was a major mistake for him, but for now he needed to know if these people had done something incriminating. "We.. We can''t remember what we did after we smoked." Takeo said as he felt a little ashamed of being half naked and sleeping with Aoi. "I am sorry.. I am sorry.. I forgot to mention that this thing can cause problems if you smoke with alcohol. Do you have a huge hangover?" Aoto now had to do some crisis management. He had never run a shop before and his immaturity was popping up. "We did. Tell me Aoto-chan, are you dealing drugs or something?" "What? No.. No.. This things is supposed to be used as muscle relaxer and give people some form of hallucination. This thing can help with anxiety and also help those who are suffering from PTSD. Only drawback is that this can be little addictive but then again for smokers it''s the same thing. And the only precautions that should be taken is that, it should never be consumed along with sake." Aoto laid out everything that he knew about weed from his previous life. He had never smoked one but he knew about them from his classmates and what he had read on the internet. So he poured out all the things he knew about weed at that moment and he hoped that these two men wouldn''t think that he was selling drugs. "See, I told you that Aoto-chan wasn''t selling drugs. We just consumed it wrong." "I guess it was our mistake. Sorry Aoto-chan for suspecting you." Both of them bowed their heads in apology. "Please. It was my mistake too for not telling you to follow proper instructions. I hope you can forgive me too. You didn''t do anything bad did you?" Aoto too bowed his head and accepted his shortcomings. "No¡­ No¡­ Hahahah.. It''s fine Aoto-chan. You are still new in this. Now tell me where did you find this kind of green tobacco?" Aoi said, trying to deflect from the shameful thing that had happened. "I found it in the forests nearby Takeo-san. I didn''t skip classes just to have some fun before." Aoto lied as he knew that the predecessor loved skipping classes and roaming in the grasslands and the forests nearby. Of course, not alone. Sometimes he would take Ayame or some of his school friends with him. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Ah. Seems like Aoto-chan has grown up.. Hahahaha.. . So this thing can be smoked to give us relief?" Aoi remembered the exhilaration when he first smoked. "Yes. But it can be addictive too just like the normal ones. If you consume too much it will lead to circumstances that I don''t know about but I am sure it is safe." "Did you smoke this Aoto-chan?" Takeo asked as he was confused of how he knew about it without smoking this. Aoto looked embarrassed and just nodded his head. He would have to continue his lie if he wanted to get himself a regular customer. "Hahaha. Well since you know that this can be addicting don''t take this anymore. We are adults while you are still a kid." "Aoi-san, children of my age are already Genins." "But you are not a ninja." Aoto just shrugged his head as he knew of his own shortcomings. "Aoi-san, Takeo - san, do you want to buy cigarettes?" "Buy? No more gifting?" Aoi laughed. Aoto just smiled at it and didn''t reply. He was hoping that these people who came out of concern for him could buy some weed. He had given the weed free before so he earned nothing from it. Now it was time for payback. "Alright Aoto-chan I am ready to buy this. How much does it cost?" Takeo said. "6 cigarettes would cost 150 ryo." "Huh! So costly? This is too much. A pack of cigarettes here cost only 20 ryo." "Aoi-san, this is a medicinal cigarette which helps in muscle pain, anxiety and PTSD. I don''t know if you know of PTSD, this happens when someone goes through trauma in the past and suffers mentally later. These things are special. And this is very difficult to find. I had to waste so much time for this. Sorry but this is the cheapest I could sell them for." Aoto made up a lie and made it as convincing as possible for him. For profit he would have to do anything and everything. Aoi and Takeo got into thinking. What Aoto said was correct. Both of them remember the pain vanishing away and felt happiness after smoking the weed. "Alright. Since it was our mistake to accuse you of wrongdoings, we will have to compensate. Give me one pack." "Damn it Aoi, I should have been the first one to say that. Give me two packs." Aoto didn''t waste another second and a pack that he had made the previous night after putting in the weed was sold to them. "Aoi-san, Takeo-san. I will only allow the sale of 5 or 6 cigarettes per week. I will not sell more. This is done so that the people don''t get addicted to it like smoking. I hope you smoke it responsibly like you do this with sake." Aoi and Takeo, who felt a little pinch after buying the new stock of weed, were surprised by the words of Aoto. They didn''t expect that Aoto had put such rules on the sale of weed. This meant that this person cared for the people around which made them feel more embarrassed for doubting him. "Don''t worry Aoto-chan. We will be careful." Now this was a small episode that had happened in the shop but 2 or 3 people had already joined the queue and heard all the conversation between Aoto and these two. Coincidentally , the new customers were here for the ''gifts'' that Aoto had sold to them before and unlike Takeo and Aoi, the two new customers repeatedly nodded their heads at what Aoto said, as his words were true and the weed just gave them relaxation and some ''happy time'' before getting back to normal. Now, they were here for more. 13. What a profit! Ayame almost had to run and call for his father when she saw how the two people came and kind of accused Aoto for selling drugs. But surprisingly, Aoto held his ground and explained. Later when new customers came to get the gifts that he had given away previously, she felt relieved that what Aoto spoke in the beginning was the truth. It seemed like that the ''gift'' was really good and Aoto made strict rules of selling the item. "Aoto, I was really scared for you." "Why? Just because someone didn''t use it correctly? hahaha.. You should have more faith in me." Ayame just nodded her head and continued helping her friend. The rest of the day went like the previous day. Many people came for the bread, while Aoto gave the new customers the ''gifts'' which he had given the previous day, while he sold to the previous customers which he had given already. Writing the names and selling it, as usual. This wasn''t effective because there was a high chance that once someone wanted more of it, they would send different people to buy from him and thus making it hard to keep track of the supply. But for now, he wanted to maintain it. It was because if someday he was called for selling illegal items, he could always show the register and get along. Of course, this was very slow and he would lose time but there was no way around it. Only technology could make this easier but he didn''t have access to that. Aoto spent the rest of the day selling bread and weed. He had sold quite a large number of weed as many came to buy them to stack up their week''s supply while some people just wanted to try for another day before believing in the power of weed. By the evening Aoto sold 1k ryo worth of weed and he had been able to get rid of 1 crates. After closing the shop at night, he went to his room to see how the system calculated his profit. "System, I have sold some weed. Now how will you calculate?" [ The profit is always half of what the host sells from the system ] With that statement, an amount of money vanished from his pocket magically. He felt the change in his pocket and checked. He was missing 500 ryo. The system was really powerful! It stole money from him without moving! The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. But Aoto didn''t care. He was happy that the system remained true to his words and just took half of the money. "System, how much do I have to pay to buy weed from you?" [ Each joint will cost the host 10 ryo. ] "10 ryo? I earn 150 ryo from 6 cigarettes, which is more than 20 ryo. Damn it''s double the price. " Aoto was happy that he was making a huge amount of profit and it will help him a lot. Money always had power in any world. He could hire ninjas for security purposes, though it wasn''t required for him, but he had a feeling that soon he might be attacked and for that reason he needed a fake safeguard. Of course, if everything else failed there was the system to make sure he was safe. Aoto went to sleep with a genuine smile on his face. It was the first time he had been happy after coming here. All this time he had been in a constant state of anxiety but now he finally had some peace. At least even if his bread business failed, his weed business could catch up and help him a lot. As expected the next day, the new customers who he had gifted weed to came again and this time to buy weed. Ayame was surprised how these people were coming after just one gift. Aoto really made a new business out of some green tobacco. Teuchi too got the smell that Aoto was selling an extra thing but he didn''t mind as long as it didn''t harm people and was helpful for them. There were people who went after smoking even after knowing the fact that it was dangerous for health. And Aoto''s new cigarette at least had some good effects from what he had heard so he was very supportive of Aoto''s new venture and encouraged him. In this manner a week had passed and by the end of the week he was able to sell 15 of the crates that he had got free from the system. Statistically, it should have been more after the initial boom, but the reality was different. Not everyone in Konoha smoked and not everyone knew of his new gift that had just entered the market so it would take time for his new venture to grow. In addition to that, he had sold the joints in packs to the people before which would last a week so the end of the week was approaching, there were less and less customers. But he was more than happy seeing his personal profit with just his sales. He had earned 7k ryo in just a week! This was like a dream to him. And this profit was after the system had taken half the profit. He couldn''t help but be giddy in happiness. And in order to celebrate his happiness he asked for Teuchi and Ayame to have a little celebration together. "Aoto-chan, you should save your money. It can be used on rainy days. You never know when this money would be required." Teuchi said as he had a little bit of concern in his mind. After the Kyuubi attack, there has been a rumor floating around that there might again be a war between the villages as many villages would try to take action against Konoha since it might have been weakened due to the Tailed Beast attack. Even if there was no war, there would definitely be skirmishes and Teuci was concerned that there might be loss in business too. Aoto who had been living in clouds due to sudden growth of his personal wealth was brought back to reality again. He was reminded again of what kind of world they lived in. 14. First acquaintance At the end Aoto still insisted on taking them to a good barbecue and celebrating themselves a bit. Teuchi and Ayame had helped a lot so Aoto felt a little obligation to them. But it was very apparent that the rumors were flying high and low about the possible war that was going to arrive and thus the environment around was pretty depressing. Aoto tried his best to not let it affect him and have the best evebing possible at that moment for him. After a grand feast, everyone was back at their homes and Aoto tried not to have random thoughts in his head while sleeping. He knew that if the world wasn''t already doused in the flames of his inclusion through butterfly effect then there shouldn''t be any war for a long time. The only bad things that was going to happen was genocide of the Uchiha and the death of Neji''s father. Other than that everything should be fine. Business and the economy could only boom when there was stability. Sure, war drives many inventions and probably provides employment in return to the general public, but that''s just living under fear. If he wanted to use the system to the maximum he needed to make sure that there was a stable economy and business and for doing that he needed proper communications with other villages and countries. Only proper understanding with other people would lead to lesser wars and a more peaceful state. His previous world too had problems as there were wars in some countries but it shouldn''t be forgotten that 40-50 years in the past the same world was in more shit than it was when Aoto left. Of course many factors played their part but proper communication was always the key. And Aoto needed to see if he could change anything about this particular problem using his system. While Aoto was having those thoughts he drifted off to deep sleep. The next week. Aoto had been selling the joints like hot cakes. Everyone who had been smokers were already loving the weed and surprisingly, they have stopped smoking their regular cigarettes and only went for his product. Aoto didn''t expect that. But nonetheless he didn''t care. It was on the third week of his cannabis sale that something happened. Well, by the terms ''something happened'' it meant there was a new customer for Aoto''s joints. A person who he had quite a good idea about. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Asuma Sarutobi. Probably the most well known smoker ninja of the town. Aoto had always felt bad with how he died in the hands of Hidan later and for him that arc was probably the best arc of Shippuden. Though the arc of Pain was gold, at the end Naruto used the Talk No Justu and every bad thing that had happened was restored. That took away his immersion. But Aoto wasn''t foolish enough to think that any kind of arc would be based on the feelings of the viewers. It was the real world now and if he could avoid all the fights he would. "Welcome to the Yamazaki Shop. How can I help you?" Aoto tried his best to put up a normal face when Asuma came in. He didn''t have his beard as of yet and was clean shaven to which felt weird as he had only known Asuma with his beard in his memories. "Hey.. I heard this shop sells some kind of divine cigarettes? Can I buy some?" "Uh.. I don''t know if what I sell is divine or not but I do sell something different." Aoto tried his best to be both polite and confident about his products. "Well, I heard from one ninja saying that your cigarettes are the best. Can I try?" "Sure. Here... Since it is your first time, we have a policy about the first sale being free. You can try this at home and then you can judge. How does that sound?" "No, I don''t want to rip off anyone.. Here is the money." Asuma said as he handed over 25 ryo for one cigarette. "Each and every first customer gets the first one free and it would be incredibly unethical if I do something against the rules I set. If you want to pay, you buy the bread. That will help." Asuma was surprised how adamant and clear this small guy was when selling. He had seen the world and went outside Konoha. All he had seen was deception and killings and this went on even in their own village. He didn''t like how his own father had conducted things and there was a growing disagreement between them. So seeing such a small guy with crystal clear eyes made him smile. "Okay kid. I will take one loaf of bread and the cigarette. If I like it, hand me 10 packs." "That is also not possible. A person can only buy a pack which contains six in one week. This thing is addicting and can hinder your senses. You are a ninja. All the more reason to not be addicted to this." Asuma''e eyebrows arched as he continued looking at the kid. He was more surprised now. He had gotten to know of the cigarette from a fellow shinobi and he also heard how the sale was very strict, but he didn''t pay attention as he thought it would be because of the cost. But from the looks of it, it was totally a different reason. "That''s a nice ethics you got kid. I hope you can grow up with the same mentality." Asuma said as he took the bread and the cigarette. "I hope so too. Wish you happy smoking." Aoto sighed in relief after Asuma left. Ninjas were known to be more sensitive to the lies. He knew too much at this point and he wasn''t an assassin of any sort that could fool people around easily. If it was Itachi or Shishui, Aoto probably would be shaking on his knees now. 15. The next product The next day. The first thing which Aoto saw when he opened the shutters of the shop was Asuma standing two steps away from the shop. At first he got scared but looking at the face of Asuma he realized that he wasn''t here for catching him but for the fact that he had loved the product. "Asuma-san, isn''t it too early for you to come?" "Kid, what the hell did you give me? That was amazing." Asuma had a spark in his eyes and Aoto could tell that this person was definitely addicted to it with just one joint. "Hahaha.. Welcome back Asuma-san. Would you like to buy some?" "Of course, do you have the recipe to make it? I want to make it on my own." Asuma asked. "Sorry, Asuma-san, I can''t give you my family secrets. This is one of the secrets which had been passed down from the family. My father didn''t want to sell this because this thing was a little addictive but as you can see that I am in dire need of money as the shop was destroyed in the attack." Aoto said as he finished the sentence in a sad tone. Asuma didn''t know what had happened to this kid in the attack but he didn''t ask. Instead he heard another important clue. "What do you mean by one of the secrets? Are there other good things like this?" Aoto smiled as Asuma asked that. Weed wasn''t the only thing which he had with him at the moment. He had Mad Honey too but he couldn''t sell it as this thing was addictive. He needed connections for selling this. Since Asuma came crawling back at him it was better to use him as the bridge. "There is another thing that dad had passed down to me long ago and I had collected them. But this thing is more dangerous so I never used it." "Kid, I don''t care if it''s dangerous. Just give me." "Calm down Asuma-san. It''s not a cigarette. It''s a honey that could be used as a healing agent but it is quite addictive." "Honey and addictive? Are you mad? Not gonna lie, honey is tasty but it''s not addictive." Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "Asuma-san, I got the honey from mountains bees who live deep in the forests. It''s not as simple as it looks. My dad had brought me in search of that place long ago." Aoto seemed a pretty angry as Asuma was skeptical of his products. "Okay... Okay.. I trust you. But how do you know that this honey is helpful for healing purposes?" "My father used to drink it once or twice when he had a stomach problem but he was quite cautious in the dosage. He said that this thing was dangerous." Asuma got into thinking after Aoto gave his statement. His cigarette was really miraculous and he loved the feeling when he smoked it. But he could also tell that this thing was definitely addictive, and so he liked the fact that this kid didn''t want to sell in bulk and was controlling the flow of the product in the market. So it meant that the kid had a conscience. If his words were true and this so-called Mad Honey had a healing factor they could check it out in the hospital as there were both scientists and doctors who could test it. He was a jonin and also the son of Third Hokage so of course he had connections. "Okay, show me the product and give me the Honey too. I will take it and test it with the doctors in the Konoha Hospital, if that is okay with you." "Of course. I want to get rid of them too." Aoto was ecstatic when he heard that. This was the best result he had hoped for. Aoto almost ran inside and brought out a medium sized jar of Mad Honey. Since it was a testing product, he gave it for free just like his first joint. And with the Mad Honey, Asuma bought a cigarette pack of 7 joints. Seeing the joints, Asuma''s eyes shone and was beyond happy. "Kid, I will be going for a mission tomorrow so you might not hear from me for sometime, but I promise you that if your honey proves to be helpful, I will give you a good deal. But in return you will provide me with a lifetime supply of this heavenly thing." "Hahaha.. Asuma-san, rest assured I can promise you that. But in missions please don''t smoke this. It can make your senses dull. You will be killed if you don''t pay attention." "Hahah.. You won''t lose such a great customer like me so easily. It is just a simple B-level mission." "I trust you Asuma-san. Please take care." "You too kid." With that Asuma came out of the shop. This was followed by another small queue of people asking for the bread and the cigarettes. Aoto was beyond happy knowing that his honey might be useful. He had full trust in the products of the system and looking at the medical level of Konoha it should be pretty easy for them. Princess Tsunade had introduced a lot of new things in the medical industry and the Konoha hospital should be a place which was open to new ideas and theory. Of course, Aoto would have to wait for the Hospital to confirm their findings and only then they could move forward in the business venture. Meanwhile Asuma took the jar and went to the Hospital to give them the jar. "Asuma! What makes you come here so early? Need med packs for the mission?" "No Doctor. I want you to check if this honey has any healing properties." "Honey? Asuma any kind of honey will have a very small healing factor but this is negligible." "I know Doctor, but I think this honey is special. Can you check it?" "Asuma you know well, the current conditions of Konoha and we have just been attacked. We don''t have the time to experiment on things." 16. Uchiha clan "Doctor, I am not asking you to research this right now. I am asking you when you have time please check it and conduct experiments. It might be helpful for us. It''s been a long time since we made any progress in medical procedures and medicines since she left. We need to encourage applications of new things." Asuma played the emotional attack card since he saw that the Director of Konoha Hospital wasn''t budging in his spot. He had a very weird assurance that whatever the kid spoke about was the truth. He was even ready to bet on it. Of course, the Doctor hearing the dipping standards of the Konoha Hospital didn''t have words to refute Asuma. He was right. After ''that person'' left, there hadn''t been much progress. What she had left behind was legendary and there were still aspects of the medical ninjustu and the techniques which they didn''t know how to decipher. It was very easy to say that Sakura was trash ( well she was trash) but one mustn''t forget that Sakura was a better apprentice than Shizune herself who had been staying with Tsunade for a longer period of time. Sakura inherited everything from Tsunade and even the Slug''s sage arts. But these common medical ninjas weren''t even at the level of Shizune, forget about future Sakura. "Fine. Give me some time. I will check it." The Doctor just sighed and accepted. Asuma was a good Jonin and was known by everyone for his kindness and his iconic smoking habits. "Thanks man. One more thing. Don''t use it directly on patients there is a high chance that the person will get addicted and might lead to complications. At least that''s what the supplier said." Asuma reminded him. "What? You.. You are selling hard drugs?" "C''mon Doctor, I have been here for such a long time and you know my father. Do you think I can do that?" Asuma seemed a little angry when he was accused. "Then why did you say that drugs can make someone addicted." "Doctor, there are some drugs which you use for patients that are itself addictive but you still have no qualms using it." Words stopped at the Doctor''s mouth as he didn''t know how to reply to that. Though the medicine wasn''t as modern as Aoto''s previous world, it was making strides towards that like morphine and such other drugs. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "You got me there." The Doctor said while Asuma showed a victory symbol with his fingers. "I will be leaving for a mission for sometime. Hope you will keep your promise." Asuma said as he walked off. "You have known me from the ninja school Asuma. Am I that kind of person?" Asuma just smiled and vanished from the sights of the Doctor. he turned his head and looked at the jar that was sitting at the table. He highly doubted that this kind had any kind of substantial healing factor. There could only be one kind of honey in the world. Why was Asuma claiming to find another one? The Doctor just sighed and rang the bell that was sitting on the desk. Since he had promised he should stand by his words.
Meanwhile Asuma had already started preparing for the mission while Aoto was just happy that he had finally found an outlet for his products and went on with his work. But the day wasn''t going to be as boring as he thought. In the evening, one hour before the closing time of the shop there were new customers at the shop. Customers which he never expected and Aoto had the second ''heart attack'' of the day. There were two people who had entered the almost vacant shop. By evening most of the customers had already brought their bread and cigarettes and now since the sun had set people still had a fear that the Nine-tails would come out to decimate their village. But today was different. Two people who had arrived were different from all the other customers that Aoto had seen in the past few days. Aoto in these days has seen all types of customers. Common people, the ninjas, ninjas from Hyuga clan, Inazuka clan, Aburame. Akimichi... But there was always one clan that his eyes hadn''t laid on. The infamous Uchiha Clan. And today was the day that they had decided to show up. One man and one woman. "How may I help you?" Aoto was very cautious in asking them. People tend to think that Uchiha were always the good guys but they also forget that there was a rising sentiment of dissent among the members of Uchiha and it was already spiraling towards destruction. Of course, the policy of the Tobirama didn''t help at all. In other words, neither the main figures sitting at the top were good nor the people from Uchiha were saints. Both were at fault. The man who had come in had visible arrogance written all over his face. The woman who had accompanied the man was more of the shy type. "I heard that I can get some magic cigarette from here." The man who went by the name Arisu Uchiha spoke in a very haughty tone. He spoke as if Aoto owed him money. "Magic Cigarette? Sorry I don''t have that. But I do have one kind of cigarette which I personally named as joint." Aoto replied in the most calm manner possible. Arisu eyebrows creased as he felt that this kid had insulted him of his intelligence but he didn''t speak out. His girlfriend was here so he didn''t want to show his bad face. There was a reason why he was in a bad mood. All these days, everyone from the Uchiha clan was under tight scrutiny by the Anbu and the higher echelons of the village and thus everyone of the Uchiha clan woke up on the wrong side of the bed everyday. They were being accused of using Kyubi in attacking the village and they felt insulted. 17. Sell me more, kid "Kid, just sell me the darn thing; don''t try to be clever about it. I''m not here to debate whether it should be called Magic Cigarette or not. You are not asking questions; you are here to sell." Even though Aoto was a little upset, he didn''t complain and pulled the first joint. He presented them and stated "The house has this law. The first thing won''t cost you anything. If you like it, you can return the next time and then pay to purchase the thing." With no consideration for the possibility that this might be the policy, Arisu tightened his fists because he believed the young boy was indirectly telling him that he lacked money. "Do you want to get hit, kid? Simply state the amount. If you fear I don''t have the money, I''ll pay in advance." Aoto was startled. He simply repeated the rule that the first item was free, so why was this man acting so defensively when it came to the financial aspect? "I''ll give you the joint for free . But if you want to pay you may buy this bread. This cigarette has been sold alongside the bread ever since I opened the shop. Since this is a bakery, bread is always the main item on the menu." Arisu was prepared to give this boy a lesson since he was becoming irrationally angry. The lady who had been holding his arm from the side lifted his sleeves at that point. She could clearly see that the boy was telling the truth when he said that the first cigarette was on the house. When Arisu was about to throw a punch, he stopped and turned to face his lover. She gave a headshake. When given the cue, Arisu relaxed. "Give me the Magic Cigarette and the Bread." Aoto was grateful that she spared him because he had noticed this tiny movement. Aoto didn''t mean himself when he said "him." He meant this Uchiha guy. The system had already said that he was invincible inside the shop and if this guy punched him, the shop would have retaliated. And it would have been difficult to explain how this man was attacked by someone who was unable to produce chakra within his body. He was certain that the Anbu knew about his cigarette and had been keeping a check on him by this point since the Uchiha had learned about it, but it didn''t matter to him in any case. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. He was just concerned about the money and potential benefits from the system. The only other unique incident that day was this one. The Uchiha family was eventually permitted to leave the house and began doing their duties as the village policeman. The following day. The same Uchiha lad returned, along with the regular clients. After a brief verbal altercation with him the day before, Aoto didn''t anticipate his return. However, he made the assumption that the man might have tried his joint and was now unable to shake the sensation. "Kid, sell me 20." Aoto gave him an open-mouthed stare. The average tip requested around here is 10 or 11 at most. This person requested twenty? Was he on some sort of high? Whatever the case, 20 joints would be expensive. "Are you certain? If you purchase 20, you won''t be able to purchase for the following 2.5 weeks." "What? Why does that matter?" "I only provide these in limited quantities. First of all, because these items are uncommon and I produce them myself, and secondly, because this item is addictive. I won''t sell you again if you buy 20 right away." "Are you for real? You manage a store. If someone wants more, you should give them more." "Although I apologize, this is the policy." "Who developed this policy?" "I did!" Arisu was astounded by the child''s chutzpah. The gossip about them was already going around, and now this child was also "looking down" on him. He was about to strike the child when he realized that there were a lot of people around, and if he did, not even the police would be able to intervene. "Sell me the 20 okay?" As he wrote down his name in the register and made sure that he couldn''t make the following transaction till the time had passed, Aoto nodded and sold him the remaining items. Seven days later. In the evening, Arisu appeared at the store''s entrance. When he arrived, he made sure no one was present. "Sell me 10 more." "Huh!!" When Aoto received the "order," he was busy checking the inventory and making notes in a notebook. "You are .... You? Didn''t I tell you to come after two and a half weeks? Ten days are still remaining." Despite the fact that a week had passed and he had seen several different faces recently, Some of them were actually Uchiha''s as well. Aoto still didn''t forget this guy. Not all of them were haughty, but this particular type stood out since he was the first to treat him badly. "I''m sorry, kid, but I''m out of time. We can part ways if you sell me an additional ten." "There is no other direction I am heading. I have to keep up with this store." Aoto gave a sincere response. Arisu was growing more and more upset and enraged with each passing second. After obtaining the joints, he wished to depart. He finished the entire set in a week since he couldn''t resist the joints any longer. He desired more now. "I''ll say it one last time, kid. This is not going to end well, so sell me more." Arisu nearly yelled. "I apologize. I can''t. I don''t renege on my promises." "You are a piece of shit." Arisu extended his hand in order to struck Aoto. It was there he realized how powerful the system was!! It was because the time had slowed down. Everything around him came to almost a screeching halt. 18. Ho! You are approaching me Aoto didn''t really anticipate that. When the system informed him that he was untouchable inside the store, he assumed the system would act instead of handing him the wheel. However, the system was clever about it and simply let Aoto act, which was preferable to the system acting, which would undoubtedly be mysterious. Arisu didn''t realize he was about to suffer the ultimate public humiliation as his knuckles continued to slowly approach his face. Stepping to the side, Aoto fist-clenched. He took aim at the area that would hurt this piece of garbage the most. Aoto was going to be a larger bully because this person didn''t care about the age gap and chose to bully a "child" like him. Aoto made sure to hit his "eggs" with his fists by placing them right at his "crotch." Arisu delivered the hit, then retreated. The moment he took a few steps back, the pace of time returned to normal. Aoto actually believed he had transformed into Dio for a while and wanted to scream "Ho! Are you approaching me" but somehow stopped his nerdy brain to speak such absurd things. When Arisu''s fist missed the child''s face, he was initially shocked, but then his pain receptors in his brain shouted. He experienced excruciating anguish, which caused him to coil up and collapse to the ground. He made a concerted effort not to yell. But the discomfort was too great, so he could only sigh internally. He was unaware of what had occurred and didn''t care. All he wanted was for the anguish to stop. "Arisu-san, Are you alright? What took place? Are you famished? Would you like any bread?" Aoto moved promptly and like a responsible citizen by approaching the man to "give" him assistance. Naturally, his words were ignored. Fortunately for Arisu, only a few seconds after he collapsed, another client entered his store. "Eh.. Arisu-kun, isn''t he? What went wrong with him?" "Oh, Miko-san is here. Please assist me. Miko-san.... He merely arrived and collapsed to the ground." Aoto used all of his acting skills to mimic how someone may behave if someone around suddenly fell to the ground. "Huh!! Is he ill or poisoned? I''ll take him to the hospital, please. Fear not, Aoto-chan. He''ll be all right." Miko was a longtime friend of Arisu and had recently transitioned from genin to chunin. She was unaware of what had occurred, but when she heard a fellow citizen groan, she felt compassion and pulled him up by the shoulder. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. She was pretty swift in running towards the hospital while Aoto just admired someone like Miko who was innocent and pure. She didn''t harbor any hatred for Uchiha and just genuinely helped her colleague. If only the people around would be more considerate like her, this world would have been in a much better place. Whether Arisu told the truth or not, or whether he recovered before getting to the hospital, didn''t matter to him. Nobody would think that a regular person like him, who lacked chakra in his body, could harm a high level ninja. He wanted to give this man more painful lessons, but he stood by and did nothing. Since he was only invulnerable in his shop and otherwise just a regular boy, he didn''t want to overdo it. But by golly, it felt wonderful to hit a ninja in the balls. Arisu, who was resting on Miko''s shoulder, awoke from his suffering and looked up to see someone else carrying him as they ran quickly. He said, groggily "Leave.. Leave me.." "Arisu-kun.. You have woken up.. What happened to you? Few more seconds, we will reach the hospital." "No.. Leave me here.. I can.. I can go to the hospital myself." Arisu insisted as he started wriggling on the back of Miko. Miko, getting the cue, stopped and slowly let got of Arisu. Arisu was still in pain but he was trying hard not to show on his face. "Do you want me to drop you down at the hospital, Arisu-kun?" "No, I will be fine." "Okay Arisu-kun, if you say so." Miko being the innocent chunin she is let go of Arisu and walked away. After Miko bid her good bye to Arisu and repeatedly asked him to go to the hospital as fast as possible and finally vanished from the sights of Miko. After making sure that nobody was following him, he went to the side and almost collapsed on the ground. he checked his ''balls'' to make sure there wasn''t extensive damage or else he would be fatherless. After making sure that the pain had gone after sometime, did he sigh in relief. As reality slowly came back to him, he started to think what went wrong. He was on the verge of hitting hat kid but instead all he received was pain. ''That kid? Is he a ninja? But I checked. He had failed in the entrance of the ninja. Even if he was secretly a ninja there is no way he would be able to hurt me. So that means he has a secret aide. Fuck.. That naive face tricked me...'' Arisu was making the typical inference that any ninja would make following a failed mission. Without a doubt, he considered this to be a complete failure. He had to take action because he couldn''t coerce the child into selling him just one thing. That was absurd in and of itself, and if word got out that he had failed to intimidate even a child, his own clan members would laugh and make fun of him. "He is called Aoto. Was it? You want to play with the big boys, therefore I''ll demonstrate what true play is like." As he made his way slowly back to his house, Arisu kept those ideas in mind. One week later. Lot of time had gone by since the last incident had occurred in his shop. Arisu didn''t show up and according to Miko-san who dropped by later, said he was alright He was expecting a retaliation from Arisu but nothing came. 19. Full circle "Daiki, I need your assistance. We can obtain a lot of that cigarette if we execute this correctly." Late at night, Arisu spoke to his companion. "Arisu, are you certain of that? If we pursue that small child, we will be breaking the law as members of the police." "What small kid? This piece of shit disrespected me in public and.. and... Leave it. Konoha doesn''t care about us anyways and the rumors are getting strong that it was because of us that the Kyubi was released. They don''t respect us anyways." Hearing this, Daiki, who was close to Arisu, sighed. He was aware that his friend was hooked on this new cigarette, and after trying one for himself, he was unable to contest its superiority to the others. Additionally, he harbored resentment toward Konoha like many other Uchiha did. The upper echelons have treated them horribly. And he found the idea of robbing someone to get the cigarettes to be quite appealing. "You really want to do this?" "Of course, I want to teach the kid a lesson." Daiki and Arisu both sighed and covered their faces with an Anbu-style mask. They both leaped onto the first tree branch before disappearing into the pitch-black night. Aoto was having a good sleep at the moment and had no idea that his ''old enemy'' was coming to rob him. Soon Arisu and Daiki was at the rooftop of the home of Aoto and we ready to barge in when they heard someone speaking from behind. "That''s quite lowly of a ninja to attack someone who doesn''t even have chakra and that too in the village of Konoha." "Who is it?" "Who sneaked up on us?" Daiki and Arisu were so terrified that they dispersed to the side. They noticed a tall figure standing over an electric pole and staring at them in the pitch-black night. It was Asuma. After completing the expedition, he relayed his findings to the Hokage. He had managed to prevent himself from overdosing on the joints during the task, but he was still able to complete it. He made the choice to stop by Aoto''s house on the way back at night to see if the child was awake. He would purchase one more pack if he were awake. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The fact that the child was sleeping disappointed him, but he was also relieved that he had decided to stop by because it seemed that some individuals had evil plans for his prized possession. When they saw the jonin, Arisu and Daiki became more frightened. Asuma had just lately become a jonin, and he had passed with flying colors while the other two had failed. They realized they wouldn''t match. Unfortunately, neither of them had awakened, and they would need Sharingan to rapidly fight Asuma and escape. Both of them moved in the opposite direction without hesitation. They might be able to delay Asuma for a while, but Konoha was after them, and if they were found and hauled in for questioning, their career would be over. "Oh. These two know better not to mess with me! But it''s not that easy." Asuma muttered as he pursued one man. One individual would be enough to catch. In an effort to apprehend the offender, Asuma ran and jumped on rooftops, and he quickly came dangerously close to catching one of them. It was Arisu. He could already see that Asuma was going to catch up to him so he turned his head back and made hands signs. Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu ( Fire release : Great Fireball Technique ) A medium sized fireball was produced and flew towards Asuma "Oh! An Uchiha? What a disappointment." Katon: Haisekish¨­ (Fire release : Ash Pile Burning) Asuma spat forth a flurry of ash, which quickly engulfed the fireball that was about to strike him. The fire was put out once the oxygen supply to the fireball was cut off. Arisu exclaimed, "Shit," and he began to run once more. He believed that this strike would at least temporarily stop Asuma, but he underestimated the clan''s special move. Only a few steps had been taken by Arisu when he noticed Asuma in front of him. A side kick from furious Arisu that was intended for Asuma''s head was deflected by an elbow. Asuma moved quickly and gave Arisu a side chop to the neck in response. Asuma''s swift and accurate response caused Arisu to lose consciousness. "Now! What about the other one? .. Whatever. This guy will spill out the secrets." Asuma said as he took Arisu on his arms and went back to Aoto''s place. Since they wanted to harm his golden goose it was better for the golden goose to decide. After a short while of moving, Asuma banged on Aoto''s window A few knocks caused the window to open, and Aoto, who had been half dozing off, sprang awake upon seeing Asuma carrying a man on his shoulders who was wearing an Anbu mask. "Asuma-san, this isn''t an hospital." "Be grateful to me kid. I just saved you from robbery." "Robbery?" Aoto was confused as he wiped his eyes to clear his eyesight. "There were two men who were trying to rob you. I was only able to catch one of them so I brought one back." Asuma replied as he was quite proud of himself. "Come in Asuma-san. We can then decide what to do with him." Aoto wasn''t perplexed or scared about the thought that something would happen to him if two people trued to rob in. Asuma was pleased that Aoto appeared to be peaceful in spite of knowing that he was about to be attacked because he was living under the safety of the shop and was reasonably confident that the system would protect him. The balls of this kid. Asuma entered and, while removing the mask, dumped Arisu''s motionless body. The moment Aoto saw his face, he wasn''t particularly shocked. It had already come full circle, and he was already bracing for reprisals. 20. Hatred against the Uchiha "You seem like you know him." Asuma asked as he could see that there wasn''t much surprise in the face of Aoto. It was as if he expected it. "Was there a fight between you and him?" Asuma asked in curiosity. "He tried to intimidate and force me once to sell him some joints and I refused." "What? The audacity. The Uchihas have been growing increasingly unrest that they even force a kid to sell them against their will." "It''s only one Uchiha. It''s nothing major. Just because one guy is guilty doesn''t mean that the whole clan is guilty." "You don''t know... They have been extremely rude to the people around and boss them. He is one of the products." Asuma doubled down on his words without even thinking for a second. "Really? Why do you think this is happening, Asuma-san?" Aoto didn''t accept the words of Asuma but asked a different question in return. Asuma, who was still angry about the fact that someone just tried to steal from his favorite shop, replied. "It''s because they are arrogant. They think they are better than all others...." Asuma wanted to say more but stopped. He didn''t let his emotions catch up to him and gave away sensitive information. He wanted to say that one of them was responsible for the Kyubi attack. Though many people were already speculating that he didn''t want to speak it out loud. "Are they? I have only heard of Fugaku Uchiha from the 3rd great ninja war. But I heard more about the 4th Hokage and Kakashi Hatake. Are they really very strong Asuma-san?" Aoto asked while putting on an innocent face. He didn''t mention the name of Shishui because he was a hidden weapon of Konoha and only worked for root. Though many higher levels and enemies knew of him the general public had no such recollection nor the information. Aoto was very sharp and cunning in not mentioning names that might make Asuma suspicious. Asuma, hearing the response, wanted to refute saying that Shishui was a great ninja but then again he stopped himself. The Uchiha clan was quite a big clan so it was quite understandable that they would have one or two good candidates, just like the Aburame clan or the Hyuga clan. It was the same for almost all clans so why was it that only the Uchihas were targeted. The simple answer was that the others feared them. The second Hokage had managed to isolate them, and now Konoha was facing the repercussions. Asuma never liked the way the whole village was working, and now even this kid could subconsciously point it out. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. He sighed! Maybe his father''s habits had rubbed off on him and he too had started hating the Uchihas just because of what the others had been saying. This kid was more knowledgeable than him and didn''t even bat an eyelid when he came to know that an Uchiha had targeted them. If only others were half as smart as him. "Whatever kid! What do you want to do with him?" "How do I know? I am not the police." "...Mmmmm... I will handle him.. Now pay up." "Payment? What payment?" "Payment for protecting you." Asuma replied calmly. "Asuma-san, I never asked you to protect me." Aoto put up a nonchalant face. "You ungrateful wretch... Fine fine... I will pay for one batch. Now give me." Asuma gritted his teeth and asked. He thought that after saving the life of the kid, he would be provided with free joints. But it seems like he was expecting too much. Of course, he didn''t want to bully the kid like the piece of shit lying on the ground was but he sure expected something in return. Aoto smiled at Asuma''s rage, but he refused to do anything charitable for him. He was here for business. Money should never come between friendships. He had previously lived a very frugal life, and there was no way in hell he was going to give up money. Aoto went downstairs to get himself some joints and out of kind heart he added an extra joint for the same price. "Here Asuma-san." Aoto handed him over. Asuma could already see that there was an extra joint in the box and this made him happy and made him forget about the regret he was going through of saving this kid. "Kid, tomorrow come with me to the hospital. I am sure the scientists there have made progress on your special mad honey." This made the face of Aoto bright as he didn''t expect that there was such fast progress. He nodded his head vigorously. The joints weren''t that profitable but he was going to make sure that the honey was the one to make more money out of it. Though the system didn''t explicitly say anything, he was almost sure that the profit was what would make him have access to other things. He was just waiting for the next item to be outsourced. Asuma wasted no time in taking Arisu''s unconscious body and fleeing through the window. Aoto proceeded to close the window and go back to sleep. It would have been better for him if Asuma wasn''t involved in this and just let Arisu try to rob him. It would have been funny and maybe blackmail this guy to work for him. But all went down the drain due to one over enthusiastic weed loving guy. Meanwhile, Asuma reached the Hokage''s office which was still lit at night. Hiruzen was still going through the reports when Asuma appeared near him with Arisu. His eyebrows creased and asked. "It better be a good reason behind your abduction of a fellow shinobi." "This guy just tried to rob my favorite shopkeeper, so I taught him a lesson." "Shopkeeper? What is going on? Is that an Uchiha?" "Yes. He tried to rob a pack of cigarettes and I just caught him." "Hmm... Throw him in jail and send someone to inform Fugaku about what happened." Hiruzen didn''t care much. Though Asuma caught an Uchiha in doing something wrong it wasn''t anything that required his attention. 21. Poison Asuma didn''t give a damn about how his father would treat Arisu or accuse Fugaku. Now, all he wanted to do was walk outside and smoke his joint. He was almost outside when Hiruzen inquired unexpectedly from behind. "What was that about your favourite shopkeeper?" Asuma turned around and clenched his pack tightly, to make sure this didn''t get robbed because he knew his father was a greater smoker than him. He might smoke cigarettes once a day but his father had no such guilty check on himself. "I buy this from my shopkeeper. Now I only smoke once a day." Asuma said while showing the joint from far. "Once a day? When did this happen?" Hiruzen asked, confused that his son has lessened smoking by so much degree. "Few weeks ago. This thing is awesome. You should try it." Asuma thought about it and finally gave his father one joint for him to try. Hiruzen saw the small white thing in the finger of Asuma. He could easily see that there was some green type of ''tobacco'' inside and it was wrapped in a more transparent paper rather than the typical paper or tobacco like it was done in cigars. "What is this?" Hiruzen asked. "According to him, it is called joint. Why don''t you try this? Maybe it will help in taking better decisions in administering the village."At the very end, Asuma made sure to make fun of his father. He was more convinced tonight following his conversation with Aoto that his father''s actions were bad for the community. Even while his father was making an effort to control the situation and ensure that there was peace in the village, it was certain that his father''s former coworkers were undoubtedly making things worse than they needed to be. Asuma had pleaded with his father to make decisions on his own rather than relying on advice from his boyhood buddies, but his father resisted, emphasising the fact that they were his friends. Hiruzen grasped the joint in his hands without giving it any thought. He simply smoked it directly after lighting it up. Nothing happened at first, but gradually the familiar environment in front of him transformed. As he relaxed, his thinking simply slowed down. He initially believed he was the target of some sort of genjutsu, but for some reason he didn''t care. He simply relaxed and took another drag while sitting in his chair. Asuma grinned triumphantly while gazing at his father for a considerable amount of time. Even the renowned Hokage was unable to escape the joints'' enchantment. He shut the door and nearly ran inside. He previously given his father his "payment." This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. He had better make the most of what was left.
The next day. With a start, Hiruzen sprung out of his chair. He eventually fell asleep on the recliner the night before. The fact that a simple smoke could even cause a kage level ninja like him to nod asleep at his current location astounded him even more. But he adored it to the fullest. ''No surprise he enjoyed it'' as he requested one of his Anbu guards to get information about this new shopkeeper, Hiruzen pondered. Even though he enjoyed this new thing, he needed to research this new product that had recently inundated the market. Although he could tell that this new thing was addicted, it was still good. The Anbu obeyed the command and then disappeared from view. Hiruzen pulled out his usual cigar and lit it. However, he stopped smoking after a short while. His old cigar was messing with his senses and he missed the feeling he had yesterday. He need that "dosage" once more. "Sigh! Oh my my, what a torture." Hiruzen had a thought. Aoto, meanwhile, awoke normally as if it were any other day, and he had all but forgotten what had happened the night before. Before Asuma arrived, he opened the store and began serving clients. "Kid, shut the store. You now have new clients. I visited the hospital to see how they were doing. You''ve earned a gold mine for yourself." Asuma had a huge grin on her face. He was delighted because this enterprise will even fatten his funds and fill his pockets. Aoto saw this, so he quickly posted a closed sign outside the store before leaving with Asuma. In case the other person requested another sample, he also brought another jar of mad honey with him. There were three persons at the office when Aoto and Asuma arrived. They had been impatiently awaiting his arrival. "You have to be the Aoto, Asuma-senpai was chirping about. I underestimated how young you would be." The Konoha Hospital nurse, who was seated to the right of the speaker, spoke. That was the first thing that Aoto heard. He couldn''t help but curse inside his mind. "I am much older than you think." "After experiencing the mad honey, we can now state that this is a really good thing. It works well for anyone with indigestion or other similar gastrointestinal issues. It might also be used to induce sleep. In fact, we are confident that we can produce poison out of this mad honey with the right dosage, giving us an advantage over the poisons that Sunagakure is aware of." The director said. "Eh!" Aoto was taken aback. He gave the mad honey only for them to use it in medicine. What was up with using it in battle? That was never his intentions. Did he just become a war criminal like Tony Stark, unknowingly? Ya.. Ya... Ya... He was thinking too much! "It seems like you didn''t know it''s poison capabilities." "No. My father only said that it can only be used in indigestion and was addictive." "Yes, it is definitely addictive but we have found some interesting uses to it. We hope that you can continue providing this thing. Now how do you want to get paid? By the margin of profit or pay per jar?" 22. Summoning Aoto was still reeling on the fact that this thing could be used for poison. This was a total new discovery for him. In the original world, the sale of mad honey was banned quite early and the last thing he knew that in public domain there was only one known person left in the tribe who would go after collecting mad honey high up in the Himalayas. "I would prefer that I am being paid by jar." Aoto replied. He didn''t want this thing to depend on the margin of profitability. This thing was addictive and could kill a person if taken in huge dosage. He was sure that mad honey would not be able to outlive his usage and Aoto had a feeling that in later stages he would be able to come up with better medicines rather than this sub par mad honey. The directors didn''t question the decision of Aoto because they too could feel that this honey could only be used in specific purposes and even in case of poison not much of it is required. "Excellent. The Konoha hospital is ready to pay 1000 ryo for one jar. I hope that amount is good for you." The Director said. He had quite a good friendship with Asuma and he wanted to maintain a cordial relationship with this interesting guy. Aoto stopped himself from jumping in joy. He was ecstatic hearing the first proposal. He wanted to say yes right at that moment but he knew that if he showed his emotions, the future deals might be in jeopardy. He showed a very difficult face to the others and finally after much thinking he nodded to that. It was very amateurish for Aoto to show such expressions but he did that after considering his own age. If he acted too professionally it might lead to other kinds of consequences so he acted according to his age and said yes to it. "By the way, do you knowhow to collect mad honey?" "My father taught me his when I young and in the past few years we have collected a lot since honey don''t tend to go bad in time like other materials we have saved quite a lot in a secret bunker under the house. I can sell 20 more jars just like this of mad honey." "That was quite a smart investment from your late father." The director said. Aoto had a sad face when he mentioned his late father. Somehow he felt pain for someone who he didn''t meet even meet. "Let''s not dwell on the past things. Aoto are your happy with the deal? Tell me. I will rise up the money. I don''t want my favorite kid to be scammed." Asuma said trying to lift the mood of Aoto. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "No.. No... Asuma-san I am fine with the deal. This is perfect for me. This thing was not accumulated by me anyway. If I want to sell more later, I will have to go out and find this honey." Aoto said. He tried to show his best face which could portray him as someone who was ready to face the world even though he had failed in the ninja academy. All the people present in the room gave an appreciative nod. The director sent two men with a cart to Aoto''s place in order to bring back 10 jars worth of mad honey and he also paid an upfront money of 10,000 ryo. Aoto was very happy seeing such an amount in his hands. Though he was sure a part of it would be sucked away but he didn''t care. At least there was a huge progress in his sale. Aoto led the two men to his shop and later took out the mad honey jars from the small warehouse at the back. The two men were ninjas and though they could take more weight than an average human, they brought a small cart with themselves so that they could take the mad honey jars back. Aoto even talked with the two men as Asuma had left for his own work after the meeting. Aoto didn''t mind that since a person like Asuma would be considerably busy. After Aoto gave away the jar, he decided not to open the shop immediately. It was because the system had already give him a notification after it deducted money from the money that he had sold. "System, has there been an update?" Aoto asked as he was anticipating an update. [ The host has met the requirements to open the actual function of the system and now can get access to variety of things depending upon the effectiveness of the host. ] "You mean to say that until now I wasn''t actually using the system?" [ Technically no. You just got access some of the function. Now the first level ahs been opened and you can use the resources of the first level which in comparison is very much pathetic to the higher levels. ] "You can say that in a much less condescending way." [ That is the truth. ] "Tch.. Whatever... Now tell me what are the functions of the first level?" [ It''s been detected that the shop was primarily made for the sale of bread and the current production of bread sale is at subpar level. The system will allow for a lottery to summon a character from all realms and worlds both known and unknown to the hosts to help the host in his production of bread. The summoned character will have the choice to call for 2 other character from his own realm to help him in his endeavor. ] "Wait? What? Summon a character? From where? My old world? Are you crazy? If a character is summoned I will be questioned the next day. The sale of ''drugs'' is already a red flag and now you want me to add someone who has no previous record in the village?" [ The host doesn''t need to care about the small bits. The character summoned will come from outside the gates of Konoha and their information will be added to the records without any hitch. The host needs to have faith in the system. ] 23. What a troll! "So you are saying that the summoned people will originate from outside the village and their names will be registered in the records?" Aoto wanted to confirm what he was understanding. [ Yes, and even the memory of those in charge of maintaining the records will be changed in order for your summons to reach your place of business and place of employment. ] "Damn! This is ridiculous." Aoto murmured under his breath. The system was really too powerful to even change the memories. This was like plugging all the holes and making sure that everything was legal. "So what do I need to do to summon someone?" Aoto enquired while getting thrilled. He might encounter a powerful bread maker since the call, according to the algorithm, would come from all planets and realms. Aoto was safe and content inside the store, but the situation was different outside. A whole different picture would emerge once he left the guardian circle. Even if the summon wasn''t as powerful to protect there might at least be someone in the same realm who could give him some kind of protection. [ Host needs to revolve the lottery wheel just like last time. ] Aoto was once more forcibly transported into the system space. And just like the previous time, he was once more close to the lottery wheel that had question marks between them. After turning the wheel, he was still unsure of the kind of person he might be summoning. But before he used all of his strength to turn the wheel, he prayed one final time. The wheel spun quite a bit before gently coming to rest on one question mark. The question mark on the wheel half gradually disappeared, and a youngster took its place. A boy with large cheeks and a noticeable amount of body weight appeared at the wheel. Aoto initially believed that the person who had just entered the wheel was from a dimension he was unfamiliar with, but he had a strange feeling that he had already seen the young boy before. He just couldn''t place where. [ Congratulations to the host for getting his first summon. This is Hot Pie from the world of Game of Thrones. He was selected as an intern in a bakery in his early days and later turned out to be an excellent baker. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ] Aoto tensed up in his position. He was seeing things that he couldn''t believe. He believed that when he turned the wheel, he would draw a character from one of the many food-related anime, such as Food Wars, the world of Ghibli''s creations, or some other completely unrelated anime. But instead, the system had chosen to troll him once more by assigning him to a useless nobody from a world that was already broken, like it had done the last two times. It was understandable why Aoto thought he recognised the man. He had seen Hot Pie in the TV series once or twice and after the disaster of the the 8th season he decided to never watch that series again. "System, are you being serious?" [ I don''t have the settings of humor, dear host. ] "Sigh! You really like to pull pranks on me." [ The host needs to understands the general rules of the summons. 1. Each summon will be obedient to the task at hand rather than the host. The host cannot order his summons to perform tasks that are outside of their areas of expertise. The host is limited to asking his summons to produce more or less, or something along the lines of their own fields of expertise. 2.The host cannot force the primary summon to choose the secondary summons; only the primary summon who had been called for the task has the authority to call the other two summons. 3. Each and every summon will be inserted an information about the fact of him being a summon and had been forcefully taken away to this world so the host doesn''t need to explain the part and also the system will make sure that each and every summon doesn''t ever speak of the secret of the system. It is done so in order to make sure that the secret of the system is kept as he host doesn''t have full power on the summons yet. P.S. The people who are called for a certain area of competence are the main summons. For instance, Hot Pie is the main summon in this instance, and the secondary summons are the people he will ask for assistance from. ] "Yet? You mean in future I might have full control on the summons?" Aoto asked. [ The host is low tiered to know. ] Aoto wasn''t angry when he got the answer, rather he was happy. This small words meant in the future when his business would bloom he might get full control over the system. "Can I call Hot Pie and then ask him about the two other summons at least?" Aoto asked. [ Surely ] In a matter of seconds the photo of the chubby guy disappeared along with the wheel and soon a person appeared instead. The person just like the one in the picture was a chubby guy who had fat deposited in many parts of his body. He wore rag clothes and seemed like someone who belonged to the old European times. The youngster initially appeared bewildered because he was unsure of what had transpired. But as time went on, new information began to flood his consciousness. The knowledge that he was being forcibly transported to another world. The system also had to ensure that the youngster knew what had just happened to him because he was too uneducated to even comprehend what a new world was. This required a flurry of common information, such as the language and acceptable clothes, along with it. After shaking for a short while, he fell to his knees. Hot Pie appeared to be in great panic because he was obviously trembling. 24. You are falling apart "Man, hold yourself together. You are falling apart." Aoto said looking at Hot Pie. For some reason Aoto wanted to be extra modern in front of him and spoke in English while adding a typical British fake accent to his words. "What.. What.. Who are you?" Hot Pie who was still trembling finally saw the extra person around. The information load was too much and thus he was in his own world trying to comprehend to what just happened. "My name is Aoto. Nice to meet you." Aoto said. "They.. They call me Hot Pie." "Oh. Who are they here?" Aoto asked even though he knew who called him by that name. "My.. My friends." Hot Pie replied. By now he was slowly calming himself. Aoto was helping him get a hold of the things with normal talk. "That''s a nice name you got there, Hot Pie." Aoto said. "Thank you." "Do you understand why you are here, Right?" Aoto asked. Hot Pie clenched a bit but he slowly nodded his head. He had to accept the fact that he had just been forcefully led away to a different world. "Well typically, you can call two of your friends from your own world. So do you want to do that?" Aoto asked "Uhh.. Can I really bring people from my own world to this world?" Hot Pie asked still in a daze. "Yes. You can forcefully bring them." Aoto replied. He was curious of who Hot Pie would choose. The world of GOT wasn''t of any help to Aoto because these people lived in ''ancient'' ages and this new world would be a monstrous world for them. "I.. I don''t know who to call as my friends. Most of them just hate me." Hot Pie said with a little sad voice. "Why? I thought Arya was a good friend of yours." Aoto said. "You.. You know of my world?" Hot Pie was surprised that this knew guy who he understood as his summoner. The system had given him a lot of information and one of the main one was that Aoto was the one who called him here. "Of course. Though I might know of you in such a detailed manner I surely know one or two things about you. Your escape from King''s Landing, your adventures with Arya and you mistook her as a boy." Aoto said. This brought an embarrassed smile on his face. He really did mis-gender Arya in the beginning and he thought this was a secret. But the summoner knew. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Seems like this guy really wasn''t simple to have such power to call him from a different world. In a way. Hot Pie thought of Aoto as someone with witchcraft but somehow he wasn''t fearful of Aoto. "Then should I call Arya?" Hot Pie asked. "Go for it." Aoto said. "I don''t understand. What is ''go for it''?" Hot Pie was confused. "Uh.. I mean you can call her." Aoto said. Hot Pie then proceeded to close his eyes and in within seconds a light shone in front of him. And just like the previous time, Arya came out when the light diminished. She was again subjected to tons of information. Arya looked exactly the same like in the last season and also was wearing the same outfit when she left for her adventures at the end to look for new place. She looked around confused but then she saw Aoto and Hot Pie. Without much thought she went and hugged Hot Pie. Hot Pie who was little scared of her was surprised to see such reaction from her. When he brought her she thought that Arya would me mad at him but instead he got a hug in return. "You are the best, Hot Pie." Arya said seemingly quite excited. And then she looked at Aoto. "You must be the boss. Thanks for telling this guy in summoning me." "How come you are so acceptable of the summoning thing?" Aoto was confused. He was sure Hot Pie still had his doubts and he might possibly be thinking that this was all a dream. But Arya seemed to be totally polar opposite to the fatso here. "I have seen the Night Walkers, killed them, saw my own brother turning into someone who I almost don''t recognize, saw the dragons... Do you think this will intimidate me?" Arya said with pride. Aoto''s eye brow raised a bit hearing the words of Arya. She was really accepting of the fact way too fast. "Hot Pie, you have another guy to call yes? Can you call my brother?" Arya thought of something and pleaded Hot Pie. "Who?.. Who?" Hot Pie asked. "Bran? If he comes there will be again war in the Seven Kingdoms." "No. Not that brother. I want John. He was on his way to Night''s Watch. I don''t want him to suffer there." Arya said. Aoto nodded his head as he had almost forgotten about their other brother. "Hot Pie can you please call John?" Arya asked while showing her puppy eyes to him. Hot Pie couldn''t take it anymore and just closed his eyes. In the next moment with a flash of light a man appeared. A man with dark heavy clothes draping from his neck appeared. He had beard on his face and eyes seemed a little hollow and devoid of any kind of ambition. It was as if he had lost all purpose in life. Just like the other two, he too was barged with tons of information. But unlike Arya who was acceptable to this new pseudo-space of white light, he reacted in a more dramatic way. He pulled out his Longclaw and pointed it at Aoto. Aoto''s smile vanished immediately and was a little scared looking at John. "John.. John.. What are you doing?" "Arya...No.. This can''t be real. Tell me monster what kind of witchcraft did you do and turn yourself into my sister?" John was in denial as he looked at his sister and backed off while pointing his sword at him. "John.. Calm down. It''s me Arya.. Don''t you recognize me?" Arya was a little scared looking at his brother who seemed confused. 25. Crushing the pride John didn''t believe her at all and just continued pointing his Valerian Longclaw at Arya. "John.. It''s me. Arya. The one who grew up with you. The one who used to practice swordsmanship with you. The one who you taught archery... The one who was the most rebellious... Mother didn''t used to like you but I never saw you in any bad way.. Don''t you know me?" Arya said. John was visibly shaking with each passing sentence. He had been in the Nights Watch for so much time and at the end it kind of warps the minds of the people around. Now John was suffering a bit from that but he couldn''t be blamed. Arya loved new things bit John was bit more traditional. He thought something took his away from Nights Watch and made him look at things that was only possible when one was hallucinated. "Arya..!" John asked now slowly putting his sword on the ground. Arya nodded her head and slowly approached her brother. She made sure that her brother sees her hands so that her brother doesn''t think that she was the enemy. After a few seconds they stood next to each other and then she proceeded to hug his brother who she thought she might not see again. After a small pause, John hugged Arya tightly. Like her, he too missed his sister. After a second they broke apart and looked at her face. "What is going on?" John asked. "Didn''t you get the information in your head?" Arya asked. "I did. But I thought this was witchcraft." John said. "It isn''t. He is the summoner." Arya said. John looked at Aoto with vigilance. "So you are the one with witchcraft?" "Think whatever you like. But whatever you came to know is real." Aoto replied trying to be as calm and commanding as possible. He couldn''t show weakness here and hoped that his own system would give him protection from his own summons. "Then can you send us back?" John asked. "No." Aoto shook his head. The system didn''t give him any such functions. John looked a little dejected hearing the words of Aoto. He slowly accepted that whatever had happened to him was real. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Is this the world?" John asked while glancing the white space around. There was nothing here to begin with so he was a little disappointed. "Of course not. This is just the space that my ''witchcraft'' allows me to have sometimes. The world where I live and where your next life will be is different. It''s vibrant, its beautiful and the most dangerous thing you will see in your life." Aoto said. "What can be more dangerous than Night Walkers and dragons?" Arya asked as she thought that there was no way anything could ever top that. She also held the belief that humanity were more dangerous than any other thing. "Here people can take down dragons single handedly." Aoto replied in a very bland tone. "What?" "You must be joking right?" "This is impossible." All of three cried out instantly. But Aoto just looked at them with the same bland and calm eyes. His silence spoke a thousand words. The three people wanted Aoto to say that it was a joke but he didn''t say any such words. All three of them gulped down their throats. "Then your witchcraft can kill those people?" Arya asked. "Hot Pie, tell them the reason I brought you here." Aoto said. "He summoned us to bake bread for him." Hot Pie replied as he hung his head in shame. Arya and John were dumbfounded hearing that. They couldn''t believe. "But you don''t have to worry. There are laws here. As long as you follow the laws here it will be safe for you. Right now I am living in a village. And you will work with me in a shop until I can see if I can get you a better work. Since the village had strict policy, I will send you outside the village and with the help of the directions you will come to the place I live. Your documents are already served in the gates of the village so it will be very easy to get in. Later I will explain things in detail." Aoto said. John, Hot Pie and Arya were still confused by the words of Aoto but still nodded their heads. ''System, send them outside the village and please make sure they find their way to Konoha.'' [ Command accepted. ] *swoosh* With a sound all three of them vanished from the spot and he was back into the real world. It was still early so it would be quite safe for the trio to find their way to Konoha. "Oh shit! I didn''t give them the dress of the times. Hope they don''t feel awkward." Aoto suddenly remembered. "Whatever! Let them step their feet here." Aoto didn''t decided to reopen his shop and just took went out heading towards the gate. The trio would probably be confused after their take their steps so he needed to be the guide. At the end of the day Hot Pie would be the baker so he needed to take care of his summon too. Aoto after few minutes of walking saw the huge gate of Konoha. The gate was wide open and few people were going in and out. Those who came in were checked by the border patrol and unlike the times in the anime, the border patrol now was based on Uchiha clan. He stood on the side of the road and looked at the border and gate patrol. Every single one of them had the clan crest behind their back. Aoto had never seen so many Uchiha''s at a single moment so he couldn''t feel but a little sad looking at them. Though many of the Uchihas were arrogant, not all of them were bad. It''s just the society had made them feel neglected. Whatever Konoha did to them was unfair which led to their ultimate downfall. Aoto stood there in a daze swimming through his intricate thoughts when he saw three people walking toward the gate from outside. 26. What a marvel John Snow, Arya Stark and Hot Pie walked shoulder to shoulder when they stepped in the village. The Uchiha patrol went forward and talked with them. In addition to the information, they have been also been given the Japanese language in their head so they could converse though they stumbled upon some words. John and Arya did most of the talking while Hot Pie stood there awkwardly for few minutes. After being shown the required documents they were free to enter the village. Arya soon saw Aoto and came almost running towards Aoto. But before she could talk with Aoto, from the corner of the eye she saw the head Hokage Rock. The mountain that had the carvings of the Hokage faces. They were huge. "Who are they?" Arya asked. Both John and Hot Pie were a little mesmerized. Though John had seen man made marvels like the Wall in their own world, it was something absolutely new for Hot Pie. "They are the Hokages. The first being Hashirama Senju, then Tobirama Senju, the third one is the current Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the last being Minato Namikaze. They are the heads of the village with Hashirama being the first one to establish this village of Konoha." Aoto answered. This was heard by Hot Pie and John Snow too. By that time many were looking at the trio with weird eyes because of their weird attire. Aoto could see their gazes and urged them to follow him to his home and get themselves new clothes. The trio didn''t think much when they entered the village but the more they saw around the streets the more they were shocked. At first it was the clean streets, then the dazzling shops, then came the small rise buildings and of course at the end electricity blew their minds. The sun was slowly setting down so many shops had bulbs being lit. They had never seen those kinds of lamps before and the more they saw the more their eyes went wide. Arya wanted to go and have a closer look but Aoto stopped her and promised them to explain the things around at home. After a few minutes of walking Aoto was back in his home, now with new guests. Aoto then proceeded to give a general explanation of the things around. The technology advancement, how the country worked and whole system of Hokage. The more they heard, the more they found it weird. "Why don''t they take over the countries? It''s so easy for them." Arya couldn''t understand this. Konoha was the military power of the fire nation and still not even bothered to take down the actual ruler of the Fire Nation. Stolen story; please report. "There is no reason for that. The military doesn''t really mean that they have the intelligence to manage a nation. So it was better for them to manage a small village." Aoto explained. "This is so different from our world. So, in the village the military head is not passed through like the kings and queens?" "No, normally the advisors of the village and the daimyo vote for it when the the new Hokage is selected." Aoto explained again. Hot Pie and others were a little dumbfounded after knowing the things around. They had never expected to come to a new world to begin with and now that they were here they found it unbelievable. "Hot Pie can you start working for me from tomorrow?" Aoto came to the real reason of why Hot Pie was here. For Aoto, Arya and John were just extra mouth to feed and nothing more and he was earning quite a lot with the mad Honey. So it was fine. Hot Pie nodded his head and Aoto later took him to the kitchen to explain how some things were made here. Thankfully, the bread making was still done via hands and not industrialized like his previous world so Hot Pie could easily understand the process and promised to get to work from tomorrow. Of course, Aoto wouldn''t be stingy and promised to pay him with the highest amount he could afford and Hot Pie who didn''t have any idea of the currency situation in Konoha just accepted it without much thought. Aoto was his summoner so in a way he trusted him. Meanwhile, Arya and John couldn''t hold on to their curiosity and went around after Aoto brought them clothes. They were really happy with the new set of clothes because they were really good and was much better than their old and coarse ones. When the brother sister duo came back it was already little late at night. They seemed excited and thrilled after seeing the wonders of mankind. The dazzling shops, the well mannered people and the maintained law really made them think that the place they previously lived was the worst. This was a huge culture shock. Though they were provided the information of the normal culture they still found it fascinating. But roaming around they got hunger and Aoto cooked some food for them. It was totally different from the food they used to eat before and this too made them ask Aoto for more servings. "This is so good. The food in Kings Landing doesn''t even come close to what I am eating." Arya said as he gobbled up some rice. John too nodded his head while Hot Pie was busy stuffing himself with the food and concentrated on the taste. "I am glad that you like it." Aoto smiled. A little bit proud of his food now. "Aoto I have something to ask." John suddenly placed the rice bowl on the table and asked. "I am sure you have many things to ask. So go on." Aoto replied. "I want to know what happened to the village?" John asked. "What do you mean?" Aoto was confused. "I saw some buildings being destroyed in a straight line and were being rebuilt. What happened?" "Oh that. Before I told you that the people here could take down dragons from your world right?" Aoto said. John and Arya nodded his head. "That destruction was done by similar kind of force." 27. Your luck has nothing to do with me "Was it really more powerful than a dragon?" Arya was forced to inquire. Although she had heard Aoto state that before, after witnessing the destruction, she was able to believe him. To it, Aoto gave a head motion. John and Arya were still in a little bit of shock. In just one day, all of their worldviews had disintegrated. Their final worldviews were altered when they saw the destruction all around them. First came the new world, then came the introduction of technology and human progress and now this? They found it hard to think that just one monster could cause this much harm. In contrast to how the dragon only used fire to scorch King''s Landing, here it only took one action to totally obliterate everything. "What happened to the monster?" John was forced to inquire. "The monster is still very much living. You will not see him again in a very long time." Aoto answered. "You mean the monster is still alive?" John believed they had killed the monster for forever, so why was it still alive? "Of course it is alive. But don''t go around asking about the monster around. The Hokage here had given a gag order on discussion of the monster." Aoto reminded them while grinning. The three tensed up at those words and swore never to bring up the monster again. "You don''t seem frightened when you mention that creature, do you?" Arya enquired after being able to discern Aoto''s feelings. "Hatred for someone who had been held captive for more than 500 years and used by mankind as a weapon? Why would I feel such animosity toward someone like that? I feel sorry for them." Added Aoto. "Them? There are numerous creatures there?" John had no trouble interpreting what Aoto was trying to say. "Yes, but you shouldn''t be concerned. They aren''t here and are scattered around the world." "Are these creatures that old?" When Arya learned that the creature was more than 500 years old, she was astounded. Aoto made a head motion. "You shouldn''t fret about them, anyway. You three lack the strength and physical structure to compete with the area''s true big leaders. Live a happy existence and keep doing the things you enjoy." The three accepted the words of Aoto and after dinner Aoto took them to their rooms. Arya received one futon, while Hot Pie and John received a large apartment with two futons. Aoto set up his futon in his customary bedroom. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He still didn''t go to sleep. Because of the upgrade, he had a new choice available to him. Prior to this, his only choices for selling were Weed and Mad Honey; however, he now had the opportunity to play the lottery ten times. 10 times he would roll the wheel, and from there he would get the chance to sell 10 items. "System, I want to draw the lottery." [ Welcome host to the system space.. ] Aoto was once more close to the white spinning wheel when he carelessly spun it fully. The wheel halted and pointed at one of the question marks after 30 seconds. From the left, the question mark disappeared, and something else took its place. An item that only had a name and not the material. Until now from the two items that Aoto had got had the materials appear. For instance, when he selected the weed, the system only displayed the weed itself, not the name of the business that produced it. But the system had for the first time displayed a business name to him. He nearly lost control when he saw the name of the business. "System, come out. I am aware that this is a common theme in Chinese books, but right now I really want to battle with you." [ The host''s spirit serves as the system''s anchor. The mechanism can only be damaged by the host dying. ] "Fuck you" He was furious because Victoria''s Secret was the name of the business that appeared. Now, it''s possible that the many ignorant dudes who spent their lives in a cave didn''t understand what it meant. This is a lingerie brand famous all over their world. They were most likely one of the most well-known lingerie companies in the world he had just left. Since its founding in 1977, this business has dominated the market for stylish lingerie. Only recently due to controversy relating to their business ethics, cheaper alternatives and other factors did the company lose some brand value in the market but even then this company had always been known for their flamboyant style. Because their intimate apparel appealed to both men and women, this lingerie company became quite well-known. Men naturally loved to see their women wearing such provocative clothing, and women loved that such lingerie could seduce them into donning it. This led to a market boom for this company. Aoto was upset just for this reason. Both the brand and the real provocative lingerie stores didn''t exist here. Whatever the women wore were extremely private. Such names would undoubtedly raise some eyebrows because the society was still somewhat antiquated. Aoto was certain that if he opened a side store selling such apparel, he would be shunned. "You really want me dead. Don''t you?" Aoto yelled. [ The system only wishes well for the host. Its the luck of the host that wants him dead. ] "Shut up! My luck is fine." [ The host died by a meteor. Does the host really believe that he has the most outstanding luck. ] "..." Aoto decided not to bicker after getting trolled by the system. He was furious and rolled the wheel once more, this time using both hands and his entire body force to roll it because he refused to accept that his fate was the worst. The question mark was then changed to an item, just like the previous occasion. This was a medicine and at first Aoto was happy that it was a modern medicine. But as soon as he read the label, he tossed the object to the floor. 28. Ridiculous that can make anyone mad Viagra He recognized that name from the sticker. The moment he read it, he felt like taking the system to a pro WWE wrestling arena and fighting it out with him. "System, I am not going to sell this." Aoto kept himself and didn''t bother to argue with the system, instead he chose the most calmer route. In no way he was going to sell this thing from the system to the locals. [ That is upto the host. But if the host doesn''t sell 100 sets of each of the items that is appointed in the lottery, the shop will not upgrade itself and get the host more facilities and perks. ] "System, is that revenge?" [ The system doesn''t have an emotional quotient. ] "Fuck!!" Aoto was on the verge of screaming. "I refuse to believe that my luck is that bad." Aoto clenched his fist and gritted his teeth when he said those words and proceeded to roll the wheel. He wished to gauge how unlucky he was. First of two were already outrageous and he didn''t know how to sell those. He rolled the wheel in full speed and another item showed up at the end. This time, Aoto exhibited confusion rather than anger. "System, is this what I think it is?" [ The system can''t read the mind of the host after you have stopped that function ] "Good. Don''t even think of trying that again." The thing that had appeared was quite special and, for the first time, it wasn''t from his universe. It fit in another fictional setting. He had loved that fictional universe since he was a young child¡ªin fact, he has loved it longer than anime. The item came from the world of Harry Potter and the item was Chocolate frogs. These chocolate frogs were rather unique because they were made of a special substance called croakoa, which gave the frog a lifelike behavior. If the person holding the frog didn''t hold it down, the frog would undoubtedly flee. To check if it was genuine, Aoto opened the packet containing the chocolate frog right away. The frog lifted its head and stared at Aoto as he did so, blinking its eyes. It had an odd appearance because its eyes and entire body were still composed of chocolate. When Aoto saw this, he was mesmerized and he had to inquire. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "Is magic real?" [ It is, of course, genuine. If chakra is possible in one universe, magic is undoubtedly possible in other worlds. ] "I wish I could perform magic. Now that would be quite a sight." The chocolate frog jumped out of Aoto''s grasp and came to rest on the floor. It didn''t stop and started to lapping away from Aoto, as if it was scared of getting eaten. Instead of attempting to halt the frog, Aoto simply marveled at it. But he quickly came to his senses. It was riskier to take this chocolate amphibian than to take viagra. It might actually materialize, just like Sai''s sketches. The problem was that it was discovered he had a very low concentration of chakras in his body while he was in school. He was simply told that he could only study in regular school because he wasn''t good enough to be accepted to the ninja school. "This can''t do. I need to somehow prove to Asuma that I can do ninjustu a bit and have some family techniques that can make a chocolate come to life." He was content with this new object nonetheless because, at the very least, it served a purpose. Aoto then spun the wheel a couple more times. And he was even more surprised by the subsequent ones. Bertie Bott''s Every Flavor Beans was the fourth item. This was another object from the Harry Potter universe. A packet of jelly beans in various varieties, with tastes ranging from sweet candy to vomit. It reminded me of Russian roulette. It was entirely dependent on luck whether you would win or fail. Aoto was genuinely very pleased with the fifth one. Books pertaining to human body. Even in his prior world, where technology was more advanced, the human body was a treasure unto itself, with many mysteries still to be discovered. So a book which had middle level knowledge of human body was a huge leap. He was confident that this product would be a market hit and that profiting from it wouldn''t be difficult because the society had fair publishing rules. The sixth was a book as well, but it held in-depth information on the heart, potential heart diseases, and the medications needed to treat them. The book belonged to a highly advanced human civilization from a seemingly separate universe, and it was even more sophisticated than the information in his own world. Naturally, the system clarified everything to him since he had no knowledge of the medical industry. This was a huge treasure. "My luck is finally improving." Aoto''s face was beaming broadly. The seventh one was what Aoto might have described as "hitting the jackpot." a 98 version of Windows. Yes the same Microsoft Windows 98 on which he played his first game. The degree of technology in the world of the shinobi was extremely strange. They used computers primarily for surveillance and other minor reasons, but they lacked a good operating system even though they had computers. The people''s livelihoods would improve thanks to this version of Windows 98, which would also advance computer technology. Additionally, he would finally be able to hold something computerized. As if that weren''t enough, Windows 98 was followed by a second book of information. A book containing the elementary knowledge of Internet. It was very basic, and the most that most people could do with it was transfer files over wired connections between computers at a maximum pace of 100 kbps. After that, there were just the final two things. It was the last two items that scared the shit out of Aoto. "This is ridiculous. The other items could be explained as prank but not these. How do you wish I will explain to the people that I have these things?" Aoto asked the system. 29. The depressed guy [ That is not a concern of the system, host ] Aoto became very agitated because one of the final two things that had been chosen was a health potion. You did understand correctly. A freaking health potion from a random RPG game that could restore someone''s full health with just one gulp from the flask. This feature is very well-known in almost all RPG titles. In his universe, anyone who had ever played a video game had at least once encountered this. "Will it work on the ninjas? Won''t there be any side effects?" [ Rest assured host, this is an authentic health potion and won''t have any health after affects ] The next item was the most outrageous thing he could possibly imagine, as if the previous absurdity wasn''t enough. It was a Palico. Now, most of the people might not know what Palico was but Aoto knew. Palico was the name of the job that was assigned to these feline sub-species in the world of Monster Hunter. It was a game that was quite famous in his previous world where a hunter would go around killing monsters and level up. These cats would travel with the hunters and aid them in their endeavors by setting up traps, preparing food, and other tasks. In the world of shinobi, Palicos had almost the same role as those beasts that were contracted by the ninjas like the frogs of Mount Myoboku or Katsuyu from Shikkotsu Forest. The major distinction was that while the Palicos were not as strong as those from those legendary Sanins, they were at least useful. "System, these Palicos could contract with the ninjas?" [ Yes, host. These Palicos could contract with ninjas the same way that those summoning beasts tends to do in the primary world. ] ''Primary world?'' Aoto observed that the system referred to the present world as the Primary world but made no comment. He already had too much on his schedule and didn''t need another headache right now. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Sigh, I guess I am struck with it." Aoto remarked as he returned to reality, but not before taking one final glance at everything he had recently acquired. These developments were going to alter Konoha for good.
The next day Aoto woke up early morning as he couldn''t sleep very soundly. After receiving the ten items, he found that the excitement, dread, and anxiety were all too much for him to handle. Along with Hot Pie, John and Arya also awoke on schedule. Aoto needed to demonstrate Hot Pie around the workplace since it would be his first day there. Aoto carried Hot Pie to the shop''s kitchen after preparing breakfast for all four of them, which the GOTians thoroughly enjoyed. Aoto began making his own bread rather than asking Hot Pie to bake it for him. Hot Pie needed to be shown how things were done because he wouldn''t be able to comprehend the new instruments right away. Hot Pie didn''t disappoint Aoto. With all the clean tools in the room, he was very inquisitive and frequently asked questions. In fact along with Hot Pie, Arya too joined hands to help. Aoto didn''t mind that, while John just went out to see the village. Aoto had said that he was at the bottom of the food chain, and since he had only seen a tiny portion of it the previous evening, he needed to see if he could find anything that would be useful to him. After Aoto made a few cakes of bread all at once, Hot Pie began to work independently, with Aoto only correcting him as needed. In actuality, Aoto didn''t really need to caution him. He only had to demonstrate how the tools worked because he was already skilled in baking bread. When Aoto and Hot Pie finished making the bread and opened the store, it was already afternoon. John had already made a somber comeback. He was apparently too attractive for some of the local young girls because they were continuously staring at him. Although initially pleasant, he soon began to feel harassed by the looks and some women even approached him to inquire about him. Since John wasn''t seeking for a long-term relationship with anyone and is what might be described as an introvert in today''s terms, this somewhat overwhelmed John. He only ever experienced true love once, and it was long ago at the Wall, where he ultimately had to murder her. He wasn''t sure if this could ever heal the scar it had left on his spirit. Together, Arya, John, Aoto, and Hot Pie put up the store. Arya and John handled the shop''s upkeep and operations despite not understanding how things worked. Cleaning was always necessary because the store was a little large. They handled the cleaning and the arrangements with the aid of Arya and John. As soon as the first buyers arrived, the sale was in full swing. Of course, people also arrived for the joints, and as usual, Aoto was in charge of writing down the names. Aoto thought about what to do with the items he had as he was selling and slowly came up with a plan. He had already noticed how well-known John was from the glances many women and girls gave him, and he could certainly take advantage of that. The unexpected appearance of Asuma happened in the twilight. However, Asuma wasn''t alone this time. He had brought a buddy with him. A friend who was well-known in both the shinobi community and his prior society. Hatake Kakashi. The one who lost everything and still had a positive outlook to his life. He lost his father when he was young, lost his sensei, ''lost'' his teammates and was left alone with only the memories. Aoto could already tell Kakashi was depressed when he arrived at the store. His sensei and sensei''s wife''s passing had only been a few days, so it was still very recent in his memory. 30. Are you a cat person? "Aoto, I am here for my daily dose." Asuma exclaimed as he entered. The nearby Arya and John were a little taken aback by this guy. By this time they had already understood that men and women who wore a particular type of uniforms were ninjas just the men who guarded the Wall wore blacks. Additionally, based on the way he spoke, it appeared that they were quite close to their employer. "These are...?" Asuma was a new guy in the store, so he was forced to inquire. "They are new employees that I hired temporarily." Aoto remarked as he pulled out a few packages with joints enclosed in them. "Oh!" They had features that were noticeably different from the locals, but Asuma remained silent. The confluence of numerous clans, each with unique characteristics, led to the construction of Konoha. Konoha''s issue was with the strength scaling, not diversity. "And this must be the famous Hatake Kakashi. It''s nice to meet you." Added Aoto. "You''ve heard of me?" Kakashi was somewhat touched that someone had heard of him. Although he was well-known in the community because of his work with the Anbu following the Third Great Ninja War, most people had forgotten about him. Rarely did he see anyone who seemed to recall him. "You must be kidding Kakashi-san. You are one of the heroes of the fo... third great ninja war. Your deeds in the war are legendary." Aoto replied and he almost said 4th great ninja war and cursed their generations to an extra war that hasn''t yet arrived. Though Aoto changed his words, both Kakashi and Asuma did notice a very tiny flinch in his eyes when he spoke about the 3rd great ninja war but both of them didn''t pay much heed as they thought a young boy like him who hadn''t seen war might not know the war as closely as they did. "Those are merely tales. In order to live and win the war for Konoha, I did whatever it took." Kakashi spoke, remaining as modest as always. He wasn''t haughty in any way. "Hey Aoto. Give me some thing that can help in making this depressed guy more lively. Do you have something like the weed that could help him?" Asuma blatantly enquired. Aoto didn''t say anything in return, just stared at him. "Do you think I am some kind of genie that fulfils your wishes everyday." "What is a genie?" Asuma inquired out of confusion. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "Nothing.. Weed might help him in depression but I won''t recommend this to someone who doesn''t smoke. What do you say Kakashi-san?" Aoto turned to face Kakashi. "No, I''m okay. I don''t need any kinds of smoke." Kakashi responded, feeling a little embarrassed that his buddy had just betrayed him and told others about his downcast mood. Actually, according to the actual story, Kakashi wasn''t supposed to be released from Anbu this early, but thanks to his butterfly effect, things gradually began to change. Asuma, Kurenai, and other characters urged Hokage to release Kakashi much sooner because he had just suffered an emotional setback. "Sigh! Aoto I came here with a belly full of expectations and you let me down in this way?" "I am just a confectioner, Asuma-san. How do I get strange things?" Aoto responded with a question. "A confectioner who sells amazing smoke and medicinal honey. Do you believe those to be typical?" said Asuma. "Fine fine.. I do have something that might give a smile on your face." At the conclusion, Aoto answered with slumped shoulders, as if he were under duress to give Asuma something. "What?" Asuma was now genuinely shocked. He had only been making fun of Aoto the entire time. He didn''t really anticipate anything more from him because the previous two items that had been sold were already miraculous. "Yes. These friends of mine who have arrived from outside the village had come with their own special things or rather living things." As he pointed at John and Arya, Aoto said. Despite the fact that they were both perplexed by what Aoto was saying, they went along with him. "What''s that? Something unique from abroad? Bring it out already." Demanded Asuma. "Kakashi-san. Asuma-san. Are you a cat person?" Asked Aoto. "Huh?" "Eh?!" "Yes, are you a cat person? A cat that can act as your summoning animal?" The bomb was eventually dropped by Aoto. "What? Are you kidding me? " Asuma was on the verge of shouting. Without wasting any time, Aoto entered the store''s storage. After summoning two Palico from the system he lifted them up with one on each hand. When Aoto picked up either of the Palicos, they were both very well-behaved and didn''t attempt to bite him. He emerged from the room of storage carrying two cats. Asuma had been under the impression that Aoto was playing a joke on him, but when he noticed the cats in his lap, his mouth dropped to the ground. The two cats, one golden and the other a blend of black and white, were quite adorable. The black cat wore a business-casual white and black uniform that contrasted well with its body color, while the golden cat wore a dress on its body and googles on top of its head. "You.. You.. You have summoning animals? But you didn''t even join a ninja school." said Asuma. "Asuma-san, did you not hear what I just said. They brought them here so that they could be sold by them. They are actively looking for customers to get rid of the specials of their lands. Their land has been filled with these cats and they would be glad to help Konoha in any way possible." Arya and John swallowed and nodded in agreement when Aoto assigned them sole responsibility. "You really have many of these animals in your place?" Kakashi gently stroked the golden cat''s head. He smiled and started to soften a little at the sight of the adorable cats. Aoto couldn''t see his grin, but his eye spoke volumes. 31. Free trial "Don''t let their cute furs fool you. These two are experts in their fields. The yellow one is a palico of the healer variety. It can heal a person with its techniques and the other one is an assist type and it could set up traps, assist you in battles and do other kinds of assisting work in your mission. Of course, there are additional applications for them that you can discover on your own." Added Aoto. "These cats come in various varieties?" Asuma couldn''t help but turn his head and look at Arya and John since they were the ones who had brought. John didn''t know what he should say because he knew nothing of these, it was Arya who came forward and said "Yes, these cats come from a very remote island and each of them are different. Some are healers while some assists you in fights. I hope you will like them and help us get these cute beings popular here." When Arya said those words, Aoto''s eyebrows stood up. When it came to the siblings, Arya had always been the clever one. A young girl like her managed to escape Kings Landing, get herself close to Tywin and escape again and even get herself across the sea. Though she had a huge help along the way, it couldn''t be denied that she had the smarts of the streets. Asuma and Kakashi had no idea that these creatures would ever be put up for sale. Although it was very uncommon to encounter them, ninjas could always make deals with beasts. It was known that only the geniuses had communication with them. For example, Asuma himself didn''t have any contract animal even though his father had one of the most fiercest contract animal, Enma. Lord Enma could transform himself into a long stick which was known to be one of the hardest things to break. Kakashi himself was able to contract one because he was genius in his own rights. But here they were, a shop that was ready to sell animals that could be used for contracts. "Under what circumstances can I enter into a contract with one?" Straight to the point, Asuma posed the question. He had faith in Aoto, and he was not going to let this opportunity pass him by. "There are actually two requirements. One is pay up and the other is you can only call the palico that you have contracted first and not the other ones. There are 5 types of palico. Fighter, Bombardier, Gatherer, Healer, and Assist. You saw the two types already and there are other ones can be bought too. The healer one is 1 million ryo and the assist one is 600k ryo. Naturally, since this will be the first transaction, both of you will receive a two-day free trial of these two. You don''t need to contract now. Enjoy yourself with them before deciding whether you want them or not. By the way, these cats go by the moniker palico." Aoto spoke all at once. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Will they really listen to us even if we don''t contract?" Kakashi enquired. He was unaware of such practices. Though, the contracted animals weren''t some kind of slaves and they had their own will. Normally, they were treated with respect and were given equal status if not more. However, when they were necessary, the contracts were the best course of action. "Of course. This is the guarantee from the shop." With assurance, Aoto spoke. He was confident because the palicos were controlled by the shop and they would listen to his commands until they were being contracted by someone else. "I trust you on this Aoto but don''t you think 1 million ryo is too much for one?" When Asuma heard the figure of one million, he paused a little before speaking. Following their payment through the accomplishment of missions, jonins like them were somewhat wealthy. However, 1 million or 600,000 ryo would still burn a sizable hole in their pockets. "I am sorry Asuma-san. They had set this as their fee for them. But consider this. In a mission if you are injured, than a healer palico could come and heal you easily. Even though it might be slow, at least you wouldn''t need a healer in your team. They wouldn''t be far off from the Medic Ninja, even if they weren''t quite as efficient." Arya, who had arrived and was standing by his side, gave her approval to what Aoto was saying even though she hardly comprehended what was happening. Kakashi was the one in contemplation. The price of one million ryo or 600,000 ryo could be regarded as the ideal price if these palickos were truly as excellent as this kid Aoto was claiming. He spoke. "I will take the healer. Asuma can take the assist." said Kakashi. "Kakashi, I want to take the healer, you take the assist." Asuma immediately retorted forgetting about the price problem. "They aren''t in contract. When you buy one ask for healer. I want to see how good the healer one is." Without saying anything else, Kakashi took up the palico. He acted as though he was afraid Asuma would steal the gilded palicko from him by doing so. Although Asuma really wanted to do that, he restrained himself. He got a free trial anyways. If it really was as wonderful as this boy was claiming, the Konoha would never be the same. "Aoto-kun, how many of these palicos do you have?" Kakashi looked at Arya and questioned. Aoto responded in kind. "This is John, and her name is Arya. They could sell the 150 or so palicos they have there. The place have been really run by them so they want to get rid of the excess ones." Kakashi nodded his head and took the golden palico in the lap and walked away after thanking Aoto. He promised to return in 2 days. Asuma followed suit. Even though it was late at night, they were both too excited to remain in the shop for much longer and were interested in playing with them. 32. Meow yes.. Meow no.. "Does these cats really do what he claimed them to be?" Asuma said as he walked few steps away from Aoto''s bakery. Both Asuma and Kakashi were busy petting the two Palickos. The Palickos were really cute and adorable, and even for them it was too much to say no to. But the way these cats acted made them think if these cats could even do what Aoto said. "Didn''t you say that you trust this Aoto? Why are you doubting him now?" Kakashi said. "I am not exactly doubting him but it''s just they are so adorable that I can''t think of anything else but just pet them the whole day. Can they really be helpful?" Asuma said. The Palicko in his hand turned around and used his mouth to tug at the jacket of Asuma. His eyes made him seem like he was trying to take Asuma somewhere. "Hee.. I think your Palicko got insulted that you doubted him." Kakashi said with a weird smile on his covered face. Asuma took could see that his Palicko was trying to convey something so wasting no time he held his Palicko up close and jumped over the roof of a nearby home and with few jumps he vanished into the night. Asuma was too eager to test his Palicko and thus was in a hurry, while Kakashi slowly returned to his home. The home of Kakashi was quite a big one and had much of an open space. It had even had a big courtyard. After his father passed away, this empty house was the only thing he would return to. He put the Palicko on the courtyard and got some food for the cat which he brought on his way home. He was going to keep the Palicko for 2 days to test him so of course he needed to feed him. "Do you have a name?" Kakashi asked as he put some milk on his bowl and forwarded it to the Palicko. The Palicko''s eyes glowed seeing the milk but responded to the words of Kakashi with a shake. "Hmm.. Since you are white and gold in color, let me call you Kinshiro." "Meow..." "Jaa.. Seems like you like the name.." Kinshiro just was happy to drink to slurp at the milk with relish. Kakashi was just happy to see a companion by his side at this lonely house and petted him. After Kinshiro finished the bowl Kakashi looked at him and said. "Can you act like a Medic shinobi?" Kakashi asked directly since the Palicko could understand human language perfectly. The Palicko nodded his head. The system had already input sufficient knowledge in their minds and knew about this world. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Kakashi looked at the Palicko in contemplation. Without much thought he took out a kunai from his bag and proceeded to cut a small wound on his left hand. The Palicko was a little taken aback by this but understood immediately what he was being shown here. Out of nowhere, he brought a plant and placed the pot of plant nearby. Within no time Kakashi felt a weird feeling that entered his body. At first, he was alarmed by this but then he could feel that this weird sensation that had arisen came from the pot of plant. He let the foreign sensation travel through his entire body and within no time, the wound on his hand started healing itself. Kakashi was surprised by this and checked the plant more closely. This plant was small with only a single flower in it. "Does this plant heal all injuries?" "Meow.." (no) "But it can heal normal ones?" "Meow.." (yes) "Do you know other techniques?" "Meow.." (yes) Kakashi was impressed to say the least and he couldn''t wait to experiment with this cute little guy. Same thing was happening with Asuma too. He first asked his Palicko to show what the Palicko knew and the more he saw, the more the eyes of his glowed in enthusiasm. This Palicko of Asuma showed how he could set up traps in every kind of terrain and showed how each traps were unique and effective, and most importantly very hidden. Even the most basic move hindering trap were made with tough iron silk, the same material which the shinobis use to tie their kunais. The Uchiha''s were known to use it more often than others as they were more proficient in it, but seeing his Palicko setting traps using the same thing gave him a broad smile. His bad mood about not getting a healing Palicko vanished away like a smoke. This assist Palicko of his was more than he could wish for. "Haa.. I need to get multiple of these." Asuma had already made up his mind. He had quite the money saved with himself during his time being the Guardian Ninja of Fire nation and he wouldn''t mind breaking the vault for these cute little ones.
After the two jonins left and Aoto closed the door, he was given ugly stares by Arya and John. "What?" "At least tell us before you decide to pull us down with yourself." Arya was furious because she felt vulnerable seeing what went down. It was good that Arya improvised instantly. "It''s fine. You did fine even among the most feared ninjas of this world." Aoto just smiled and replied. "What?" "Yes, that silver haired guy, he is one of the most feared ninjas of the current time." Aoto said. "But you need to teach us the ways of this world." John said with his usual somber tone. He felt embarrassed today. He didn''t want to feel that again. Aoto accepted that and thus after closing the shop, he went on to explain the most common knowledge of the world. The more the three of them heard, the more shocked they were. Aoto even gave a brief explanation about the origins of Konoha and how it came into being. "So those two were Jonins?" "Yes, you can say special Jonins. They are just a shy away from being a Kage level shinobis." 33. I am not selling these "You mean that silver haired one?" John asked as he remembered Aoto praising the silver haired masked guy as a war hero. Aoto nodded his head to it. Arya, John and Hot Pie got a general idea of the world and know they at least had the knowledge of not to embarrass themselves. They soon had their dinner which Aoto made himself again. Only this time, Hot Pie helped a bit while Arya and John talked among themselves. While having dinner, John said. "Aoto, is there any specific work you can give us?" John and Arya felt a bit guilty seeing Aoto and Hot Pie had everything settled and the two of them were just freeloading. They had grown up and they felt like they needed to do something in order to earn money here. Aoto who was busy gulping down some noodles that he had made with the spices, couldn''t help but look at John and Arya with serious eyes. "It''s not like I don''t have anything that needs your exclusive help, but the thing is will you be up for the job?" John asked as he soothed his taste buds with a mellow soup. "I have sailed the high seas, I am up for anything." Arya proclaimed. While John was just silent and looked at Aoto with anticipation. "Good, looking at the fact that both of you are not virgin, here is something you both can help me with." Aoto said as he brought out a full set of lingerie from the system shop. "You.. How do you know?" Arya was scared when he heard Aoto calling her out openly. The words of Aoto impacted John too as he looked at his beloved sister. "Arya, is it true?" "What? I am grown up now. I killed the Night King and survived King Landing. I can take care of myself." Arya shot back. "That doesn''t give you the right to go after some random guy and .." "And what John? What?" "Nothing..." *cough* *cough* Aoto could see that John didn''t know that Arya had gone and lost his virginity to that Gendry. He didn''t remember if others came to know in the series as he speed run the series after the death of Nigh King. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "We can have the family disagreements later.. Can you please pay attention here." Aoto wanted to stop them. John in his anger might say something which he might regret later so he needed them to stop right here. John just looked away from Arya while Arya was fuming. She exactly knew what her brother was going to say and that thought made her never want to talk with him again. So what that she went and had some fun, she had all the rights to enjoy herself. She wasn''t some Princess anymore and she had long ago left that title. The two of them took a close notice of the pink lingerie that Aoto had brought out. It was quite cute and was almost transparent. "What is this? Harness for a horse?" John asked trying to change the topic and not try to think of what had just revealed. "Don''t be stupid. There are no horses here." Arya said. "So? That doesn''t mean there are no horses outside. People will need them to travel." John argued back. Aoto had an awkward face now. All he wanted was them not to start their fight about Arya virginity but it seemed like their argument would trickle down to other topics too. "It''s not a horse''s harness?" "Huh?" "Eh!" "So it''s some kid of rope to hang clothes? I have seen how the people here wash clothes and then take it out at the sun to make them dry. But don''t you think that the ropes are too small." Arya said as she took the lingerie on her hand. She felt the fabric and it was soft to her touch. "The ropes are quite small. It will not work." John also commented. "It''s neither a horse''s harness nor a rope. It''s a woman''s underwear." Aoto finally put a stop to their assumptions. "What?" Arya almost screamed and in panic threw the lingerie up in the air. Aoto just put his hand out and caught it. These were expensive and he didn''t want to destroy one just because a small girl got cold feet. "How.. How are these women''s underwear?" John asked. In their world, he had never seen such cloth, not even among the rich. Though both of them did know what underwears were but they had never seen one with such shape and size. Arya who had been scared for some weird reason looked at the lingerie and was in denial. "These flimsy things can''t be under wears. How will they protect us against enemies." John too nodded his head. Hot Pie, who had gone to pour some extra noodles on to his bowl also joined them and was in acceptance with the words of Arya. All three of them couldn''t fathom that such flimsy things could be under wears "You can ask Arya to try it out and see if I am wrong or not." Aoto got angry and gave the two pieces to Arya. "I am not wearing these." Arya straight up denied. "I am not asking you to wear it in front of anyone. I am asking you try it out in privacy and then tell me." Aoto could understand what was going through her mind seeing the transparent cloth. "No.." "Please Arya. This is important. Didn''t you say you want to be helpful. I want you to try it and then help me sell them. I am a boy so it will be very hard to get customers. While you are a woman and you will get customers quite easily." Aoto looked at her in pleading eyes. Arya now hesitated and then looked at her brother. Her brother didn''t say anything and just let his sister decide what she wanted since she had all ''grown up''. "Fine, but nobody will see it." Arya said. "No need. I just want your opinion as you will be the one to sell it." 34. I will not try my luck this time "But how can you think of me selling these? I haven''t even sold a piece of bread in my lifetime." Arya said. This was accurate¡ªeven though she had traveled widely and experienced a lot, it didn''t follow that she was familiar with all crafts. "You don''t have to do much. I will buy a shop nearby for you where you will only be the main cashier and just help the customers around. It will be fine." Aoto said. He seemed to be persuading himself rather than others with his remarks. The society of Konoha was primarily like the old societies where people were a little conservative about their dresses. Though the shinobis might not have the same restrictions nor those thoughts, but the normal and the general people who led a normal very ordinary life might look at the world from a different perspective. "Why does it feel like you are trying to put me under a chopping block with this?" Arya said as she found his words a little out of depth. "Hahaha... No.. No.. Everything will be fine. You just need to start. You might not be able to sell much in the beginning but it doesn''t matter. We can take our time." Aoto said. "I am getting paid for this.. Right?" Arya asked. "Of course.. Of course." Aoto said. She really was one scary demon. Arya stopped talking after grabbing the underwear and moved to the room next door to give it a shot. Despite loosely pointing out how lingerie were worn, Aoto was confident that this would take some time because no one was available to assist her. Aoto, Hot Pie, and John just sat there awkwardly after Arya departed. "John do you want to work to work like Arya?" Aoto asked. "I am not going to work with Arya." John didn''t even look at Aoto and protested against it. He had already expressed some reluctance toward the present item that his sister planned to sell. He would oppose Aoto if he was requested to assist Arya in this so that he was left out of the mess. "Calm down John. I am not asking you to help your sister. I am asking you to sell another thing." Aoto said and after those words he brought out a small packet. A tiny piece of transparent plastic was attached to the packet, allowing one to see the jelly bean-like items inside. Bertie Bott''s Every Flavor Beans. The gummy bean version of Russian roulette. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "What is this?" Hot Pie got curious seeing the shiny jellies from outside and asked. Aoto handed them the package and said, "Try it yourself." Inquisitive, John and Hot Pie each took out a jelly bean. Aoto recognized that it was something to be eaten when he directed the object at their mouths. Both of them had never tasted anything like this in their lifetime. It was kind of stretchy and tended to stuck at their teeth. After putting one in a mouth, Hot Pie''s face immediately lit up and started chewing it with gutso. It was John''s face that turned sour and went running to the sink nearby and vomited. "What in ''fucks'' name is this?" John said after coughing and vomiting for a minute or so. Hot Pie was perplexed. He was delighted by the sweetness of the jelly bean he received, which had a chocolate taste. He was baffled as to how anyone could detest this. "I guess your luck is bad." Aoto said. As he had already experienced his luck in the lottery, he did not dare to attempt these himself. He wished to keep his good fortune for the upcoming lottery. "Explain. Now." John demanded. "Well, these are what we call as jelly beans. It''s from a magical world.." A "Magical?" ".. we will get to the magic part later. Just understand that these are jelly beans that has various flavors ranging from good flavors like Hot Pie here got one to one of the worst flavors known to men. You however are on the bad luck side." John didn''t care if he had good or bad luck, he just wished that he could get rid of the awful flavor that had struck his tongue. Hot Pie questioned, "And you want to sell these?" To that, Aoto gave his head an inclination. "How can you sell these. People will never like it." John said. "People will like it because its a matter of gamble for the kids, and just like the older guys the kids would have fun with it." Aoto said. "So that is why you are so confident? Gambling by children?" John looked at Aoto with bad eyes. He had never viewed gambling from an advantageous angle. "What are you angry about. The kids here participate in war and kill people. That silver haired guy you saw, he was in the battlefield before he was 10 years old. In comparison to that I am at least giving them a chance to find joy. Plus, this thing isn''t addictive." Aoto said. John said grumpily, "But you want me to sell it." "I have another thing." Aoto said as he took out the Chocolate frogs packet and opened it for them. The frog''s realistic form initially mesmerized them, but what really frightened them was how it came to life and jumped away. They were so scared that they huddled back together. Aoto laughed at them and took the frog into his hand and bit at it. The frog''s size was halved in one mouthful, and it died. Hot Pie was terrified to the point of saying, "You.. You.. You.." while John was just staring at him with arched eyebrows. Aoto burst out chuckling after observing their response. "This is another magical chocolate from the same place the jelly beans were. Oh sorry I forgot to introduce the first item. Those are called jelly beans. And this is Chocolate frogs. The frogs have some magic in them and thus they tend to run away. But they are not alive." Aoto said as he wanted to clear the air or he was sure that Hot Pie would pee his pants. 35. The addiction needs to be curbed Aoto brought out another one. Since the majority of the frogs in the Harry Potter universe were marketed toward children, these frogs were already inexpensive. This time, he handed the frog to them both after breaking it right away. John felt comfortable swallowing it. Because Aoto himself had initially verified it, he could readily tell that it would be good and that there was no chance that it would be otherwise. Additionally, he spent some time outside the wall and was raised in the Winterfell. He had witnessed far stranger occurrences outside. Hot Pie was raised in a private, much safer environment. He thought it was strange, but eventually plucked up the courage to bite into the other portion. Aoto enjoyed every bite of the chocolate because it was superior to the chocolate he had consumed in his prior life. The flavor was silently savored by the three of them. John gulped it all down and said, "This is good." He was now feeling better and was able to get rid of the unpleasant flavor. Arya emerged at this time and seated down next to them. She didn''t mention her "try-on haul" to the other people, and nobody questioned her about it. Even Aoto felt a little self-conscious and bashful when he inquired about whether the fit was satisfactory, but after a brief pause, Arya spoke. "The women might like it. It''s good." Arya was a woman despite the fact that she often behaved like a male, and she still had womanly instincts, which allowed her to understand why the fabric was transparent. Women who wanted to entice a guy would love to use this. The stockings on her thighs would be enough to pique any man''s interest in her even if they couldn''t see her underwear. Aoto handed her one chocolate frog and said, "Thanks." She nearly threw it in the air at first out of terror when it jumped, but after noticing the men nearby stifling their laughter, she realized it was a joke. After that, Aoto continued by describing the mystical qualities of the frog and the jelly beans. Aoto gave them a short description of the appearance and magic of the magical world. He reassured John that the magic there was much more organized and superior than the magic in the world of Game of Thrones. John was a little uneasy about the subject of magic because he had seen bits and pieces of it in his world and it disgusted him. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The following morning, Aoto went to a neighboring store and inquired about whether they were having a sale. They were asked to speak with the landlord, who was truly a shinobi, by the woman who ran the store and sold clothes to the general public. A shinobi who was a Jonin who went by the name Aoba Yamashiro. Aoto couldn''t place a visage with the name but thought he had heard it somewhere. He would have to wait a week because, apparently, he was on an assignment. Aoto explored the other stores in the area, but none of them appeared to be as excellent as the one beneath this Jonin. Making a moving cart store for John was the only thing he could do at this point. Yes, he had made that decision. It was better to offer John a mobile shop since he would be selling chocolates and candies. During school hours, he could set up shop close to the entrance; in the afternoons, he could move the shop close to the playgrounds; and at night, he could move the shop around and pass by areas with the highest number of people. Although John and Arya were taken aback by the idea, they could see how it would be beneficial to their business. Arya was dispatched to look after the shop by Aoto while John and Aoto went in search of a regular blacksmith store and requested the creation of a medium-sized shop cart. Aoto had to wait and pay in advance because the purchase was large and the cart would need to be built, which would take some time. The store specified a one-week timetable. The shopkeeper had also asked Aoto to let him get the license to run such shop as shops like them needed to do so. So after settling the thing with the shop cart, he went to the administration building of Konoha where licenses of real estate, shopping and such other necessities were handled. Konoha was not as advanced as Aoto''s prior world, but the fundamental laws and rules still applied. Fortunately, the registration procedure wasn''t supposed to take long, and Aoto was assured that he would be able to obtain a license in about a week following a thorough examination of his credentials and the mobile shop cart. "So 1 week we will have to wait?" John asked. He was looking forward to getting back to work in some small way. Everybody in the Wall had a particular job to do, and he had one in Winterfell as well. But in this case, all he had to do was place some bread in the store and observe customers. Here, he felt worthless. In fact, John had asked if the shinobis would be interested to know sword fighting to which Aoto laughed and said that his sword fighting would amount to nothing in front of genins, forget about chunins and jonins. By the time Aoto and John returned their bakery had already opened, and Hot Pie was sitting in the front handling the main business, while Arya was responsible for packaging and logistics. Hot Pie didn''t have the authority to sell marijuana, so there was a lengthy line of people waiting for him. "Ah Aoto-chan.. You are back.. I was waiting for you.." "Aoto-kun, please don''t leave the shop like this next time. My legs hurt waiting for so long." 36. Who are you kidding In reality, Aoto wasn''t pleased as he observed the queue. He had made it clear from the beginning that an individual could only receive 7 joints per week at most, and he had restricted this to shinobis only. It appeared to be an oversight now. He''d have to reduce the supply by 50%. He only sold them when he first started the business because he required a financial boost. It would be preferable for him to stay away from sketchy situations now that he would have a bigger source of income. Aoto thanked the guys outside for being his customers before accompanying John inside. Hot Pie was relieved to see Aoto appear because it eliminated the need for him to inform the clients that Aoto was in charge of the joints. After Aoto grabbed his seat, the lengthy line quickly dispersed. Since there weren''t many clients in the area, he started working on his own project. He pulled out a large sheet of paper and began writing on it. "Due to low production, the sale of joints will be cut in half." Aoto was adamant about preventing drug use on the streets. People nearby can enjoy it without making it something they ''must'' consume every day. Anything in excess is undesirable. The enormous poster was completed by nightfall, and he chose to hang it outside the store at that evening itself Later visitors who had come to purchase weed and bread were devastated to see this. "Aoto-chan is it true?" "Aoto-kun, if you tell me where you get those green plants, I''ll go get them myself." "Aoto-kun you can''t just leave us like that." "I am sorry everyone. Joints are made of very rare plants and in order to get it, one has to go through many troubles. I can''t just let my clients to death. Plus, I have seen that many of the people here are getting addicted to this, so I think it''s high time I lessen the production." Aoto said with a very calm tone. Many of those who came to "protest" hung their heads in shame after hearing him speak with such passion in his final few sentences. The following two days were uneventful. With Aoto, less marijuana and more bread were sold. The first day was difficult because he had to deal with customers who didn''t like that the sale of marijuana would be restricted. However, Aoto simply ignored them by informing them that there was no other option. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Seeing the hype with the weed, Arya and John couldn''t help but try it once. It''s enough to say that Arya had a blast. She began to talk about her time in Braavos and the struggles she faced there. John was very supportive of his sister and was somewhat shocked by what she went through. At the conclusion, they both began singing some tavern songs they had learned during their travels. Aoto did not intervene and allowed them to finish their fun. The siblings had experienced a great deal. They lost their families, put their faith in the wrong people, had several near-death experiences, and one of them even died and then came back to life. So it was a roller coaster ride for them and Aoto just let them as they were. The two days had passed rather quickly, but Aoto had one particular cause for a crease between his eyebrows. Even in the late afternoon, neither Asuma nor Kakashi appeared in the store on the day they were due to return and give him the money. "System, how about the palickos?" [ Rest assured host, the palickos are in perfect health. ] "Then why are the two not showing up." Aoto was contemplating those ideas as he ultimately made the decision to shut the store after tidying everything. Sunday was the following day, so it was a free day. Aoto made the decision to clean the store before everything was shut down so he could relax for the weekend. After dinner, Aoto was lying on his futon thinking about the things he needed to do in the future, particularly with the medical texts, when he heard his system. [ Host there are three intruders that had entered the shops''s premise. Asuma Sarutobi Kakashi Hatake Hiruzen Sarutobi ] When he heard the last name, Aoto jumped up from where he was laying. Although he could comprehend that Asuma and Kakashi might have returned with their palickos, he didn''t understand the purpose of the older man''s appearance. He was alarmed by this. Although he felt safe and secure inside and had no reason to be afraid of anyone, the fact that the Hokage had visited him at home indicated that something was wrong. He was about to stand up and instruct the other three to enter another room when he decided against it. They were the most powerful people and any grand movement from him would be sensed by the three. So he just remained silent until there was a knock at the window. Asuma had done the same thing the previous time, so he knew it was him. Aoto steadied himself by inhaling deeply. He needed to be surprised here or else his cover would be blown. He cautiously moved to the window and opened it to find Asuma and Kakashi staring at him. In addition to John, Arya, and Hot Pie, who had also knocked on such an odd spot, they all got up and left their rooms. After motioning for them to turn around, Aoto turned his head back to Asuma. "I thought you guys took my palickos," Aoto said. Kakashi and Asuma rolled their eyes instantly. "We haven''t contracted them, show how could we summon them or keep them away?" Asuma said. "Ah right right! So where is my money?" Aoto asked. "Why are you sure that I will buy?" Asuma asked. "Asuma-san, please control your eyes. I can see your excitement from miles away. How did you even become a Jonin?" Aoto didn''t hold back exposing him. Upon hearing this, Kakashi burst out chuckling. 37. Asking for forgiveness To which Aoto replied, "Sure," Asuma then beckoned him to the balcony. "Terrace? Why? You can pay me right here and now while I bring the summoning scroll." Aoto gave his most convincing confused expression. Kakashi came and asked in a relaxed tone, "Well, we want to talk to you a bit before we settle the deal. Is that fine?" Aoto looked at both of them before closing the window. He then asked the three people inside to wait while he went and talked with them. "Is it safe?" Arya looked a little concerned as well as John. This was a very weird world for them and thus everything here was quite foreign and thus very dangerous in their standards. "It will be fine." Aoto assured them and climbed up the staircases to get to the terrace. The patio was open and spacious, with just a single water tank of average size. Aoto came up and looked around. Kakashi and Asuma suddenly emerged next to him, surprising him. His pupils could not keep up with the speed of the action. "Here, I came with the scroll." Aoto showed them the scroll that the system had provided to give them the contracts. They would only need to put their blood print of their fingers on one column and the palickos they have taken would be then contracted by the two. Both Asuma and Kakashi nodded and pulled money out of their respective pouches. Ken didn''t check the total because the computer said it was correct. "You don''t want to count?" Asuma asked. "I trust you two. And if you really want to scam me, I won''t be able to do anything about it." Aoto said as a matter of fact. These remarks took them by surprise. They hadn''t considered looking at it this way before. Asuma said in a loud voice, "How can you say that? There is a proper law and order here, and if anybody breaks it, he or she would be jailed." Without raising his voice, Aoto said, "Asuma-san. We both know that it is only possible in Konoha. If I had a very powerful beast summoning scroll with me, everything in my place would have been taken away, and I would have had to cough up the secrets since I don''t have the power to defend myself." Kakashi and Asuma felt their bodies tense up at those remarks. "Oh! How are you so sure that Konoha will come after you if you had a powerful scroll of summoning beasts?" A deep voice came from behind startling Aoto a bit. He turned around to see a man wearing a red and white robe walking towards him with a smoking pipe in his hand. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Any sane individual who caught a glimpse of the peace in this old man''s eyes would feel safe in his company. Despite the wrinkles in his forehead, he walked in a very straight motion that didn''t seem to sway in the least. This was Hiruzen Sarutobi. The 3rd Hokage of Konoha. "Hokage-sama!" Aoto said as he bent his knees to show proper respect to him. As Hiruzen approached, he grabbed him by the shoulders. "You don''t have to show such respect in front of me. Every citizen in this village are like my children." Hiruzen said. Anyone would have melted by his calm and soothing words but Aoto knew that even though Hiruzen had said, he didn''t feel the same for some people. That some people being the Uchihas. Though he didn''t have that much hatred for the Uchiha like Danzo or his advisors, he still didn''t like them. "Thank you Hokage-sama." Aoto said as he got up on his feet. "Now tell me, why do you feel that Konoha will take your belongings if you bring out more powerful beasts?" Hiruzen asked again. "Umm.. Ano.. Etooo..." Aoto fumbled upon his words. "You can speak your mind Aoto-kun. Speak to me like you would speak with your friends. I promise that I will not punish you or scold you." Hiruzen said again while using a very smiling tone. "Well you see Hokage-sama, if I had a very powerful beast with me I would surely be either have to under supervision always or locked up." Aoto said. "Oh why are so sure of that?" Hiruzen asked. "Umm.. I have only heard the rumors Hokage-sama." Aoto replied. "And what does the rumors say?" Hiruzen asked. "Well.. I only heard whispers. They say that a Uchiha controlled the Kyuubi and due to that I see all the people talking about Uchihas in a very bad way. My parents died in the last attack but that doesn''t mean I will use bad words and accuse the whole clan of being bad. In that sense if had something like the Kyuubi, doesn''t that mean I will be ostracized the same way, the Uchihas are right now?" Aoto asked. The three people who heard Aoto''s remarks were all a little taken aback by what they heard. They didn''t expect such words coming from a general citizen who didn''t even go to ninja school. Asuma went into a scolding mode, saying, "Kid, don''t speak about things you don''t know about." "Asuma.. No.. I promised this kid not to scold for his words, why are you in the middle?" Hirzuen said. "But he.." Asuma said. "He is right. If Aoto-kun did have Kyuubi with him he would have been looked in a very different way. He didn''t say anything wrong." Hirzuen said. Kakashi and Asuma were not the only ones taken aback by these remarks. It even took Aoto by surprise. Kakashi and Asuma were surprised because the things he talked about were top level secrets and the general public didn''t have any idea what went on in the deep shadows. Aoto, on the other hand, was caught off guard because he hadn''t anticipated such candor from Hiruzen. Aoto knelt once more and apologized, "I am sorry Hokage-sama, I have crossed the line with my words." Hiruzen bowed his head in apology to Aoto, saying, "No, Aoto-kun. I must be the one to ask for forgiveness because the Konoha could not protect your parents and a genius intellect like you has gone neglected." 38. Concern for Konoha The elderly man had one more shock in store for Aoto. In general, the current Konoha''s upper-level officials have never been viewed favorably. Fans were especially cruel to Danzo, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado. Danzo was on everyone''s hit list, so let''s not bring him up. Aoto''s first idea upon arriving in this world and recognizing himself in Konoha was how to eliminate Danzo. If he had any abilities or chakra, he''d want to help this elderly man before worrying about getting the sharingans for himself, so it''s a good thing he doesn''t. Once he acquires the irises, it will be extremely difficult to eliminate him. Sasuke suffered even after him awakening the mangekyo sharingan. Hiruzen was also not held in particularly high regard alongside the other three senile gits. He continued his sensei''s "love hate policy" toward the Uchihas, isolating them; he didn''t provide enough support for Naruto; he didn''t reveal his true identity; and so on. However, it was often forgotten that he truly loved Konoha. Perhaps he loved too much, to the point where he refused to go against his former friends when necessary. That was the worst error of his life. After witnessing Hiruzen in this light, Aoto began to wonder if the elderly man was actually completely insane. No other hokage he had encountered after Hashirama had shown any sign of humility. Not to an ordinary guy like him, anyway. When Hirzuen bowed and said this, Aoto felt a twinge of embarrassment. "Hokage, please don''t do that. You are the leader of this village, the pillar. You can''t do that to a commoner like me." Aoto said. "No.. We started out on the wrong foot. You''re absolutely correct. Laws and regulations are established by the powerful. Though it''s a very harsh thing to say but I understand that truth at least." Hiruzen said as he patted Aoto on the back. Knowing that Hiruzen was kind to him helped ease Aoto''s mind. "So umm Hokage.. Why are you actually here? I don''t remember doing any kind of illegal things." Aoto said with a twinge of guilt. He did some shady stuff, though. Trade in cannabis. It wasn''t illegal everywhere in his globe before, but most developed nations viewed it as a serious health risk. "No. I am here because Konoha wants to negotiate with you." "Konoha? Negotiate? How?" Aoto questioned in bewilderment. Stolen story; please report. "You told Asuma that you have more palickos right?" Inquired Hiruzen. "Yes." Aoto nodded. "Then Konoha would like to buy some. Of course, you will be paid according to the actual price." Hiruzen put forward his thoughts. "Huh!" Now Aoto was truly taken aback. Actually having Hiruzen show up to do business with him was a surprise. Aoto''s face became bright when he heard that. He was blessed with this opportunity. He could simplify his job by selling his Palickos to Konoha. To find out the results of the next draw, he needed to sell at least 100, so any assistance would be greatly appreciated. However, he managed to contain his enthusiasm and say. "Of course Hokage, I would be happy to sell the Palickos but on the condition that I get to see the faces of the people who buys the Palickos." Says Aoto. "Faces? In other words, you mean... Oh! Aoto, you are really intelligent. I understand. Even if an Anbu comes and buys, he or she will show his or her face. But if they do that, you will be under special contract with Konoha and might be restricted to Konoha." Hiruzen said. Let''s see if this young man is worth taking seriously as a negotiator. "Be at Konoha? Sure. No problem. I am not brave enough to go out anyways. I would rather be here." Aoto simply nodded. Why would he leave the safety of Konoha to explore a world where people still used horse-drawn carriages and sailing ships were centuries old? The most technologically advanced location in the world was Hidden Rain Village, which no one was allowed to visit. He didn''t want to confront someone who had Rinnegan eyes anyways. He cherished life more than Jiraya ever did. Hiruzen had a smile on his face hearing that. Since his parents had been slain and he had to fix up his house on his own, he had begun to worry that Konoha wasn''t treating him very well. Though he wasn''t sure how he was catching those contracted beasts, he didn''t care. He had gone through the reports of his employees and they were clean coming from a far off village who had ties with Konoha when it was established. The system was powerful enough to even give a proper background to Arya, John and Hot Pie. He just felt it would be bad if Aoto goes out selling these beasts to the other villages in the future. Thus he needed this piece in the negotiation. "Good. I have tried your joint. I will also like to buy from you." Hiruzen said. This was another reason he came. He didn''t pay attention to Asuma before on his smoking but once when seeing his son dealing with Palickos at home and seeing the new joint he was smoking he got intrigued and tried. He was finally persuaded by the joints if Palickos hadn''t. "Umm Hokage.. You do know that I have just lessened the productivity of the joints." Aoto told Hiruzen that he needed to enforce some new "laws." "What? What happened?" Asuma was alarmed and asked. Asuma was devastated to hear the news of the 50% cut from Aoto. Hiruzen, however, could comprehend. This thing was addictive and he saw Aoto in new light. This kid really cared about the people of Konoha. "I will buy 3 joints." Hiruzen said. He was itching to go out and purchase one. "Umm Hokage you don''t need a Palicko for yourself?" Aoto was hoping to make some cash on the spot. 39. Genius would be an understatement "I am old enough and I don''t need a summoning animal who will outlive me." Hiruzen spoke with a smile while smoking. After taking the blood prints of Kakashi and Asuma, Ken nodded and proceeded downstairs to gather the necessary supplies. Kakashi actually decided to bring out his original summoning animal, Pakkun. Needless to say, Pakkun felt betrayed after meeting his buddy, and he went into a barking frenzy against the cat. It was well-known that cats and dogs often fought, and in this instance, the fighting was warranted. Since Kakashi''s Palico was a healer, it struggled mightily in battle against Pakkun. Hiruzen and Asuma were watching Kakashi''s attempts at mediation between the two and laughing to themselves. "Kakashi, it looks like you''ve got a new issue on your hands.. Hehehe." Asuma said. Kakashi gave him the fish-eyed stare of death and simply summoned them back. Asuma was rubbing his Palico because he was overjoyed to finally have one of his own. He and Kakashi had already agreed to start putting away more money from the next mission so that they could each have more Palicos. Aoto brought a plethora of items back with him. It started in the joints at first. The jelly beans arrived last, followed by chocolate frogs. Hiruzen and the others didn''t understand, but they were intrigued. After selling the joints, he showed them the frogs. At first, they didn''t think anything of it, but when they saw the frogs leaping around and croaking, they got scared. "Aoto, did you make this? But you don''t have any techniques." Asuma had to know for sure. "I know. However, I learned the fundamentals in education. It''s unfortunate that I can only create one frog in a day because my chakra reserve is so low." Aoto stated in a deeply mournful voice. "Aoto, if you don''t mind can I check your chakra reserves?" Inquired Hiruzen. Any near or skilled sensory ninja could detect a person''s remaining chakra reserves. However, touching the subject was necessary to ensure an exact measurement was taken. Aoto didn''t mind and lifted his hand to Hiruzen. Hiruzen was disheartened to learn that Aoto''s remaining energy was practically nil. That a savant like him should have such a meager supply of chakra was deeply upsetting to him. Simply creating a frog that looked almost alive was a stroke of genius on his part. "Aoto, I want you to join the ninja school so that you can learn ninjutsu. Continuous learning will help you maximize your chakra reserve." As Hiruzen put it. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "No. I am happy with my life. I am already helping Konoha with Palico and if I go away the people might not get access to these beasts. The three guests who had come only know me and they might not trust anyone." Aoto scoffed. Going to ninja school? To what end? Getting beaten up and bullied by classmates for being a dud. He rather loved his shop where he was a God. "Are you sure?" When Hiruzen heard Aoto''s reply, he was disappointed. Aoto nodded his head. Hiruzen kept staring down at the hopping frog in his palm. This was really a work of genius and he couldn''t even sense the chakra used in making these dead frogs come to life. The chocolate frog''s momentary resuscitation was likely the result of an optimal Yin and Yang release. To call what Aoto just accomplished "genius" would be an understatement. While that was going on, Asuma took a mouthful. "This is .. This is delicious." "Of course it is. I will sell these frogs soon when I make multiple of these." Aoto spoke up. "You want to sell these? Oh yes. These are chocolates. This will be a great attraction." Hiruzen did not need explanations. All of Aoto''s concepts were fantastic, and his execution was even better. "What are these jelly beans? They come to life too?" Kakashi questioned. They looked at Aoto strangely as he clumsily explained the beans. The difference between the two was night and day. What was up with this kid? Curious, three of them took one in their mouth. All three were promptly spit out with the exception of Hiruzen. "Fortunate me. I got a strawberry flavored." "Yuck, I can''t describe the flavor..." "cough.. cough... Aoto I am not trying this again." Hiruzen was pleased with himself when he saw that the other two had gotten the poor ones, but he didn''t try his luck any further. He understood Aoto''s motivation for selling. The children would enjoy this because it is similar to wagering. Everyone, including the elderly, would be able to experience it. "Hokage, I will sell these in front of schools and playgrounds. I hope that is okay." Aoto said. "Yes. No problem with that." Hiruzen''s attention was still riveted on the amphibian. Simultaneously, he let out an internal exhale. God had given Aoto a great intellect but didn''t give him an able body. "Do you happen to have anything similar, Aoto?" Inquired Hiruzen. "No. Not yet." Aoto said. "Yet? You want to make something like this?" Hiruzen understood him and inquired. "Hokage, I am now paying more attention to medical field and digital. Maybe someday if I am interested I will look into it." "You mean you made this frog while not being interested in it?" Even Kakashi was startled by this. Aoto nodded his head. "Damn!" Hs own genius seemed to be nothing in front of this kid. "Medical?" Hiruzen was confused so Asuma spoke to him about the medical honey that he had sold. "Do you have more things like that?" Inquired Hiruzen. "No. I recently came across some of my father''s old papers and am making an effort to decipher them. Maybe in a few days I will have to go to the hospital to talk to doctors about my doubts." Says Aoto. Hiruzen looked bright and cheerful. This youngster was a prodigy in every respect. He didn''t seem to know that he was a genius in yin and yang control which was rare to be found in a single person and now he knew about medical arts too. 40. Approval "Aoto, no matter what you do, Konoha will back you 100 percent. Asuma from today you will be responsible in helping him until he has a good hold of the things around and also safeguard him." Hiruzen said in a very serious tone. He thought very highly of Aoto. He was still bitter that Itachi sided with Danzo a bit rather than him, and he couldn''t afford to let another talent escape. He didn''t hope for other things, but what he did hope that Aoto would use his brain to create jutsus that would serve a great purpose for the village. When he matures, his limited chakra reserves will increase, allowing him to construct jutsus like the frog one, which, if mastered, could have far-reaching consequences for Konoha. it would be something like Minato who was able to use Space-time jutsu. He terrorized the other villages with one jutsu alone. It would be fantastic for Konoha if Aoto could make one in the future. "But I have missions." Asuma raised a fuss. Even though he had a soft spot for Aoto, he had no intention of babysitting the child. Hiruzen pondered for a moment before speaking. "You and Kakashi woudld take turns in safeguarding the kid." Hiruzen said. To this Aoto himself protested because he had too many secrets and he couldn''t let someone like Kakashi to get close to him. Naturally, Hiruzen was not in the mood to listen. Aoto had to resort to a subtle hint to convince Hiruzen that he would be faithful to him and stay put until it was absolutely necessary. It calmed Hiruzen down a little bit. He paid for two Chocolate frogs as he wanted to see if he himself could decipher the technique and promised Aoto that he would contact the administration department to give him a green signal to his business endeavor. Geniuses like him couldn''t be forced to do anything, they would bloom in their own way. He just needed to make sure that he didn''t get obsessions like Orochimaru. "Hokage-sama, are you really okay with me seeing the faces of Anbu?" Asked Aoto. "Kid, you might be a genius but you didn''t understand the most simple human interactions. How will you even know if someone is an anbu if he or she came up with a normal attire." Smiling, Hiruzen made the remark. "Shit! It''s so obvious now, but I totally missed it." Aoto murmured. Hiruzen talked about Aoto''s future plans and Aoto gave a general idea of what he wanted to do. Especially about the computer revolution that he had in mind. Aoto detailed the potential of advanced computing infrastructure. Faster and more effective bookkeeping, task tracking, and information sharing would result. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He was really looking forward to better days now with the help of Aoto. Hiruzen and the others finally departed, it was after midnight. When Aoto returned to his room, he discovered that John and a few others were already there. "You didn''t sleep yet?" "We were concerned that they might kidnap you." John said. "Even if they do, there''s nothing you can do about it." Aoto said. This made them hang their head in shame. They were powerless. "It''s fine. In this shop nobody can touch me or you." Aoto assured them and went back to his room after telling them to sleep. It was well past midnight, and they desperately required sleep so as not to throw off their internal clock. As Aoto lay in bed, he felt a tremendous weight lift off his shoulders. When Hiruzen arrived, he panicked, convinced that his business would be destroyed. Fortunately, he had shown some shrewdness and had made the appropriate comments at the appropriate times. The chocolate frog provided him with a solid basis to pitch Hiruzen''s investment. Even though he wouldn''t be able to sell very many frogs in a week because of his deception, that''s okay. He needed to make only one hundred sales. It would be sufficient in three quarters of a year. By that time he would be able to sell the rest of the items too. Hiruzen''s gratitude was evident to him, and it was exactly what he required. An umbrella to fight against Danzo because in no way, his things wouldn''t reach his ears. Because Hiruzen would be watching out for him, nobody would disturb him. For the time being, at least. He went to slumber ruminating on those things. Hiruzen, meanwhile, had been up all night investigating the amphibian. Even though he possessed Yin and Yang release, he had never mastered them to the point where he could create life. He couldn''t possibly study until Aoto gave him a proper jutsu written down or proper hand signs shown to him, so he had to try to move things along and see what he could discover. He could take his time with this investigation because he had it.
The next day Aoto had only one work for the weekend and that was copy some notes from the medical books that he got and write it on a separate paper. He couldn''t bring himself to give the volume to the hospital''s administrators. He needed to show that he was genius just like he showed to Hiruzen. Only by doing so would he garner enough support to make his business successful. There was a lot he could have written, but he settled on the few things he thought would most interest the physicians. It was a difficult task, and he had spent the entire day deciding what to compose and what to put off.
Monday. A customer was already there when Aoto opened the shop on schedule. It was the same cop who processed his application for a license years ago. "Here is your approval, Aoto." "Eh! I already got the approval?" Aoto was a little surprised. "Hahaha.. Aoto.. You have quite the contacts, the head supervisor personally came to me to give you the approval. I couldn''t delay it any more." the officer said. 41. So KFC it is Aoto was overjoyed to learn of the early approval. He didn''t expect that Hiruzen pulled strings for this. He opened the store and helped the first customers, then he and John left to visit the blacksmith who was assigned to complete the cart. The license arrived quickly, but unfortunately, the actual physical labor was not as quick. They were feeling down and were about to turn around when Aoto spotted a chicken shop. He instantly had a thought. "System, am I able to sell items beyond what you provide?" Aoto asked the system in his mind. [ The host is free to choose which products to offer for sale. The sale will be assessed by the system, with bonus incentives awarded if certain criteria are met. ] "What? I can''t believe you didn''t tell me that sooner." Aoto was frustrated that he hadn''t been told about it. Aoto had low hopes for a response from the system and received none. He left to go to the store and returned with two chickens. John didn''t say anything because he assumed he was buying groceries for himself. By the time Aoto returned it was already evening so the customers were less. He took John to the kitchen of his home and brought out the chicken. "Why am I here?" John did not understand. "Are you able to cook?" Asked Aoto. "Beyond the wall, I cooked some meat over fire. Don''t know more than that." Truthfully, John said it. "I want to sell fried chicken along with the other two items." In Aoto''s words. "What? Fried chicken? What is that?" John did not understand. Aoto then prepared a dish he had learned to make in the United States. There fast food was common and Aoto loved eating fast food but hated spending money on it. So he taught himself how to cook, and now he could make fried chicken, as well as burgers. Aoto had considered opening a burger joint, but ultimately decided against it. He didn''t have people who knew how to cook and it was better to leave for the future. However, fried chicken was an item that could be offered alongside such products. John could perform the second fry in his shop, while he took care of the first one at home. He planned to install a cooktop on it. That would work perfectly. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Aoto spent the next two hours breaking down the steps required to make fried chicken. John had low expectations for what Aoto was creating, but after trying some of the fried chicken, he gazed at Aoto as if he were a god. Later, when Hot Pie and Arya had the chicken, they too concluded that only God could have created such a flavorful dish. They had tried ramen and its flavor, but the soupy consistency turned them off. In all sense, they hadn''t tried a true dry food as of yet. Ramen, rice, noodles, everything had water. This fried chicken, however, was prepared in oil and had any excess moisture squeezed out of it. "So what do you think? Can you make it?" Asked Aoto. John finally grasped it after a hard struggle; he could become an expert in just a day or two. He was relieved to realize he no longer needed to rely solely on Aoto for support. Arya made the choice to aid his sibling. "Don''t gorge yourself. No more than once every two weeks, and no more than once a month for Hot Pie." The rules were very clear from Aoto. "Why? Wow, this is delicious." Arya was confused. "If you don''t want to die because of obesity and heart attack, then don''t." In Aoto''s words. "What are those?" A question was posed by Hot Pie. Aoto then proceeded to explain how this food was bad and even if they did exercise, the cholesterol level will definitely fuck up. They got scared by this and Arya decided to only eat once a month. Hot Pie meanwhile didn''t seem to care that he might die soon due to excess eating. Food was one of his greatest passions. But out of deference to Aoto, he committed to once-a-month eating. Without much reflection, John was confident in his ability to maintain self-control. He invited Ayame and Teuchi to eat the fried chicken before it officially launched. When they both had their first bite, they both had stars in their eyes. "Aoto, you have really made me proud. This is a masterpiece." Teuchi said. "But Uncle, it''s unhealthy. You have already seen the process." In Aoto''s words. "You think constant ramen is very good for health. Some of the extra things we put on special dishes aren''t good at all." Says Teuchi. "But you control the process and it isn''t that bad." In Aoto''s words. "Don''t worry, Aoto; this dish will be a hit wherever you take it. People can make their own decisions after learning about the potential health risks." Teuchi said. Ayame appeared uninterested in the discourse as she munched away. Aoto made a formal introduction to Teuchi, his employers, and the new fried chicken was a hit with everyone. Since there was nothing like tonkatsu in the ramen market at the time, Aoto gave Teuchi pointers on how to incorporate tonkatsu into unique ramen preparations. Teuchi was enlightened and almost ran back to his place to make Tonkatsu with pork. Aoto could almost taste the Tonkatsu ramen that he knew was on the way from Ichiraku. Instead of going with his father, Ayame stayed and chatted with Arya, who was almost her age. John was relieved to hear that Arya had found a place to call home after her move from the city. After getting some pointers from Teuchi and Hot Pie, the bakery implemented the sale of fried chicken with sauce the next day. People were initially perplexed by the presence of chicken in a bakery, but then they remembered that this particular establishment also sold cigarettes. Needless to say, the few curious customers who sampled it were blown away by the flavor and requested for more. In the morning, Aoto brought 15 chicken to the water hole to see how they would fare. In under two hours, he and John sold out of their whole batch of fried chicken. 42. Oh! Tomo-chan is here "Oh! This is incredible. How did you make this, Aoto? "Aoto, you are brilliant. You create so many amazing stuff. At first, it was the cookie with the leaf symbol, and now this." "Aoto, you have a great future in front of you." Everyone praised Aoto as they stuffed themselves with the fried chicken. Aoto apologized for this and explained that it was all thanks to his pals who worked in his store. The people around thought he was also just humbling himself and thus ushered praise for everyone working in the shop. While assisting John with the fried chicken preparation, Aoto was also keeping an eye on the bread sale. Aoto was confident that the fried chicken would be a success in Konoha because he could already see money flowing in quickly. And Aoto wasn''t mistaken¡ªin the days that followed, more people stood in line for the chicken than for the bread. Aoto was forced to increase his sale and he needed to acquire more chicken for this. But while doing all of that, he also put up a sign warning that overeating could be bad for their health in the long run and appealed with them to curb their impulse to devour the chicken to avoid dying young. Instead of alerting consumers to the health risk, this exterior sign increased store traffic. You ask why? They couldn''t believe a company could be so forthright as to advise customers to purchase less items from the store. People admired the honesty of the method, which had never been used in any store before. Following this, they arrived in large numbers, giving everyone quite a headache. Ayame arrived to lend her a hand after observing the rush. Aoto refrained from becoming conceited and cheerfully shared how to make fried chicken. She obviously knew better than to reveal the secrets to others. She was simply grateful that Aoto had faith in her. Ayame''s assistance was required because she was a budding professional chef and John''s limited experience had fallen short in her presence. She even experimented with novel spice blends to add intrigue and flavor to the chicken. Everyone adored it. Even Hot Pie went to aid Ayame and John after baking some bread. When the mobile shop construction was complete and finally delivered, this continued for a week. Aoto decided that this particular store needed branding, so he visited many print shops to get a board with the words KFC, Konoha Fried Chicken, printed. Though the language of the world was primarily Japanese, but due to the inclusion of Hiragana letters in the letters, the people seemed to know English letters too. ( you can look up Hiragana letters to better understand why this is the case) This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Aoto naturally requested Japanese letters as well, so that everyone could comprehend, in addition to English. Aoto also provided other items required for the operation of the mobile cart, such as paper buckets and cartons. John accompanied Aoto in this in order to understand how to market the things around. He had adapted to the new surroundings at this point, and for the first time in a long time, he felt secure. He was thus delighted to carry out such menial tasks. Everything was prepared after two days of rushing around. On the next Monday, John and Aoto rolled the cart to the entrance of the ninja academy and opened the store. A gate guard saw the newly arriving cart while standing there. He already knew that a new mobile was going to open, therefore he was interested in the goods that this store offered. And it was safe to say, he had never seen those things in his life. The miniature jelly beans, which he had never seen before, came first, and then the chicken. He had recently heard tales about a new variety of chicken being sold in a store, but he had never bothered to taste any of them. The final one, however, completely blew his mind. A chocolate that could eaten but was alive! What the fuck! He would have liked to go and try what the hell this was if it weren''t for his own work. But he got his curiosity fulfilled when he saw the children at the end of the class coming. One of the children actually knew of Aoto and his chicken and thus when he saw his face and the fried chicken on the cart he went running towards him. Aoto was now offering buckets and cartons for sale. His pals, who were wondering why their friend had come dashing here, trailed the youngster. The youngster examined the price tags on the cart and asked. "Uncle, will the pieces be large in the bucket like the one in the picture?" "What Uncle? I am still young." Aoto responded, feeling young and enraged because, physically, he was still 12 years old and would turn 13 the following month. "Umm.. Then bro will the pieces be large?" "We can only say that the chicken will be the tastiest. The pieces will differ in sizes and not so much." John responded after noticing Aoto being irate for such a flimsy basis. This child was the first customer here so John didn''t want to ruin it. The youngster then bought a bucket filled with 12 pieces of chicken to share with his buddies and boast about. It cost 15 ryo, which was not much and was rather inexpensive. Another child in the group saw the chocolate frog and nearly jumped out of horror as the child was purchasing the bucket. He was startled by the frogs'' movement inside the container. "Uncle.. I mean bro.. Don''t you think it''s cruel to keep the frogs in such captivity?" "What frogs? These are chocolates. They can be eaten. Look closely." His response astounded the kids, who paid closer attention to the packet. The creature was all chocolate in color. "Can you eat this?" One of the girls approached, and for her age and gender, she seemed pretty brash. She was likely the group''s Tomo-chan. 43. We have our third client John then went on to demonstrate that he was the test subject by breaking the leg off the chocolate frog he had brought out. The frog didn''t appear to experience any pain while doing this. Many other people had gathered around the girl as well after seeing all the excitement surrounding the new stall. And after that he proceeded to eat the leg. The small kids were desperately trying to figure out if John was acting out or something, but his countenance didn''t indicate that he was consuming anything repulsive. The daring girl became even more intrigued to eat the chocolate as a result, and she paid the whole amount from the chocolate that John consumed some of. Even with a broken limb, the frog wanted to jump away, but these kids weren''t just any kids; they had the potential to become future genins. Therefore, gripping this tiny object wasn''t at all difficult. And the girl''s face lit up like Christmas lights when she tasted the chocolate. She loved it so much that after eating it, she said. "Uncle I want to buy 10 of these." the girl said to John. "Uh.. 10? Regrettably, we only have four of them. These are quite difficult to make, therefore the chocolate costs four times as much as the standard ones and is therefore 50 ryo. John spoke while glancing at Aoto. Aoto had previously informed Hiruzen that he could rarely produce one in a day and that he thus needed to maintain this for at least a little while. Later, he might increase the output and explain it away by saying that he had grown and that his chakra reserves had correspondingly increased in size. Naturally, that was in the future, and it would initially only be sold in very small numbers. Since some of the items he needed to sell were fairly outlandish and would take time, he wasn''t in a rush anyway. The girl didn''t mind too much and purchased the remaining chocolate frogs before inquiring about the jelly beans. This time, Aoto was the one who spoke out and gave an explanation. As expected, this struck a string on the hearts of the young children. A few people decided to buy after being inspired by the brave girl. This was great for them because it wasn''t as expensive as the chocolate frog. Aoto was glad to serve the other people who wanted to try the fried chicken. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. To sell everything in the stall, Aoto and John toiled for more than 30 minutes. The chicken and jelly beans disappeared quickly. Aoto was beaming broadly as they returned after looking at the sales. The system would take the money from the sales of the chocolate frog and jelly beans, but the cash from the fried chicken was his, and seeing it in the cash cupboard gave him a sense of success. After they returned, at 4 o''clock in the afternoon, John went out once more to sell fried chicken near playgrounds and parks. Because another individual had come to make a purchase, Aoto didn''t go with John this time. And this was Aoba Yamashiro. He was here to negotiate and had just returned from his trip. Actually he shouldn''t have been the one approaching Aoto, but the other way round. "Aoba Uncle, I was going to find you. Why did you take the effort to come to my shop." Added Aoto. He was the proprietor of the next-door store, and he now hazily recalled what had caused the name to strike him. He was one of the jonin side ninjas that showed up during the series, and although he couldn''t recall their names, his previous self''s recollections managed to save them. "Well, the lady told me that you wanted to purchase the business, and on top of that, the Hokage also ordered me to purchase the new item that you had been hawking. Naturally, I came running by." Aoto tensed up after hearing Aoba''s comments. He implied that Hokage had sent the first client his way. This gave him great joy. "I believe we should discuss it at my house. Shall we?" Aoto said. Aoba gave a head nod. More so than Aoto, Aoba was giddy with anticipation. He was thrilled to hear such wonderful news from Hokage after returning from a protracted and tedious border mission. He was somewhat astonished to learn that it was Aoto, the neighbor, but he remained silent. He didn''t need to look into it any more because the Hokage was backing it. Additionally, he didn''t see Aoto when he returned to see him, so he naturally went to his shop where the lady was working and started asking around. He learned there that Aoto had previously visited in trying to purchase the store. This was something he didn''t expect but it came as a pleasant surprise for him. He had owned the store for a while, but he was growing weary of running it. Being a jonin and running a side business proved to be too much for him, so he decided to sell the shop to Aoto in exchange for a favor. He made up his mind to sell the shop to Aoto since he knew he couldn''t let this opportunity pass. Aoto brought some fried chicken for him to eat after they both arrived at his house. He was a businessman, so it goes without saying that he wouldn''t pass up a chance. The chicken left Aoba highly impressed, and he made a mental point to give it a try occasionally. "So which Palico would you buy Aoba Uncle." "I heard there are five types. Can you explain it to me?" asked Aoba. Aoto then patiently explained the types and uses of Palico and at the end he decided to go for the Bombardier which had the price tag of 1 million ryo. 44. The important people are coming Anyone would find this amount to be prohibitive, yet Aoba wasted no time in purchasing the Palico before starting to haggle over the shop''s price. The price for the shop and the land was finally agreed upon after a protracted negotiation at 550k ryo. Since it was already evening and Aoba was too excited to play with his Palicko, he excused himself and promised to come tomorrow to get the papers done. Aoto didn''t mind because he was exhausted from all the work he had to do today and the offices had likely already closed by that point. John returned in the late afternoon with a smile on his face. This time, he only sold chicken and jelly beans, but they were gone quickly, exactly like in the afternoon. The next day. As promised, Aoba showed up, and the two of them went to the administrative office to transfer property. The process moved quickly because all the documents were authentic, and by nightfall the ownership of the land had been transferred. Aoto was overjoyed to have completed the transaction. He was also thanked for the Palicko by Aoba. He had no idea that the Palicko he received would be described as an understatement by the name Bombardier. His Palicko could put up mines that weren''t controlled by chakras, making them incredibly difficult to find once they were in place. And once a Jonin walked on it, the person''s situation was hopeless. It would take someone with extremely great speed before they could avoid the explosion. He truly believed that purchasing his Palicko for one million ryo was a good deal. Aoto promised to support his business and spread the word to anyone who might have the resources and could use one summoning beast before he left. One million ryo was just a little bit too expensive for everyone, which was the issue. Even jonins, let alone chunins, would have a difficult time affording one. To save so much money, they would have to complete several tasks. Aoto wasn''t in a rush to sell because he recognized the difficulty himself. He returned to his shop once everything was finished. There would be some time for the old shopkeeper to leave the business and go somewhere else. It made sense that Aoba gave the shopkeeper compensation for "displacing" her. Aoto didn''t object when the shopkeeper asked for a week. In the interim, he can go explore the shop and make the required preparations to turn it into a two-story business. The first KFC location will be on the lower floor, and the Victoria Secrets store will be on the upper floor. Many individuals who come to eat in this way will get to view the shop. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Mannequins needed to be exposed, but Aoto wouldn''t be overt in his marketing by displaying them on the glass wall. The best exposure would come from KFC. He would ask John to distribute flyers about the Victoria Secret store to women. He had noted how frequently the Konoha women would gaze and flirt with him, so that would work in his advantage. Of course, he wouldn''t give a damn about John''s objections. Up until dusk, Aoto continued working. It was soon time to close the shop, but before he could do so, he noticed a person standing at the entrance and peering inside. Normally, a person would walk right into the store, but this guy stood at the entrance and observed the shop. The youngster had a highly distinctive characteristic that set him apart from the other residents of Konoha and appeared to be roughly the same age as Aoto. He was dressed in a black shirt with a wide collar that covered his neck. Typical Konoha style shoes with a white colored half pant and bandages wrapped around the exposed leg. On his back was a ninjato as well. His distinctiveness came from a mark on the back of his shirt rather than from those physical characteristics. It served as the Uchiha clan''s emblem. Additionally, Aoto had no trouble identifying the man who had appeared. Shisui Uchiha, or famously known as Shisui of the Body Flicker. The person whose genjutsu was deemed to be the best in the entire series. The one who had awakened the Mangekyo and then proceeded to commit suicide. Well, he might have died anyways but he still did jump off the cliff and nothing was known of him ever again. Right now, due to Danzo''s whispers many people believed that one of the Uchiha''s had betrayed the village and unleashed the Kyuubi at the village. Even while not everyone agreed with it, it nevertheless had an impact on how people perceived the clan as a whole, and as a result, it was currently suffering greatly. Taunts, isolation were one of the few sufferings the clan was facing right now. Aoto who was busy cleaning the shop saw the guy waiting and personally came out. "Can I help you?" Aoto grinned. Shisui was a little taken aback by seeing the smile of the boy who seemed to belong to his age. Seeing Aoto''s cheerful smile was a little strange because the locals had previously only been either neutral or unpleasant to the Uchiha family. "Hello, I am Shisui Uchiha. Are you Aoto Yamazaki?" Shisui, who was somewhat respected, questioned Aoto. "Yes. Aoto here. Being known by someone like Shisui is an honor." Added Aoto. Shisui was even more taken aback by their statements, but he kept a straight face. Contrary to popular belief, this Aoto man appeared to truly appreciate him. "Can I speak with you privately?" Shisui enquired. "Yes.. Yes," Aoto said as he went inside to ask his friends to close the shop as he would be entertaining an important guest. Hot Pie and Arya didn''t mind and let Aoto to do his "work." Then Aoto took Shisui upstairs to his residence. Shisui was genuinely taken aback by Aoto''s hospitality. 45. Duties and Conscience Shisui and Aoto were seated across from one another. "Aoto, I truly apologize for the issue the Uchiha clan caused you." Shisui muttered as he bowed his head. Aoto became surprised and puzzledly gazed at Shisui. "Exactly what for?" Asked Aoto. "For my clan member''s Arisu behavior." said Shisui. "Ah! I almost didn''t think of him. Hahaha.. You are not required to apologize to him. Since he does not represent a clan, that clan cannot be held accountable for his bad behavior." Added Aoto. That response was unexpected by Shisui. After being imprisoned, the Hokage brought Arisu back to the clan, where he informed clan leader Fugaku of his actions. In his rage at Arisu, Fugaku gave up on Arisu''s year-long right to leave the clan. Shisui was a police officer, thus he did run into Arisu after he was given a warning. He learned what his clan member had done there, and Arisu also expressed his outrage that Aoto had treated the Uchiha clan unfairly like other people. That was the reason Shisui was so taken aback when she observed Aoto being hospitable. He should have been holding him at the same regard as Arisu, more so after what Arisu had done. However, this was untrue. In actuality, Aoto''s statements caused him to think otherwise. He was unsure whether which account was accurate. "Still, Arisu is my distant family member and I needed to make it up to you." Shisui spoke and gave him a tiny bag. This was the sum of money that Fugaku had sent to Aoto as payment for Arisu. Aoto didn''t want to accept it, but he knew that if he didn''t, people could think he wasn''t ready to forgive Arisu. He eventually accepted it, so. "Aoto I need to ask you for another favor." said Shisui. "Favor? You intend to purchase the Palicko, correct?" Added Aoto. He already knew what had occurred. Fugaku must have been informed of the new Palico that had appeared in his shop. Shisui had been dispatched by Fugaku to apologize and win over his favor for this reason. The other clan heads had to have learned about this if Fugaku knew about it. This meant more business was on it ways to him and the Uchiha was the first to knock at his door. Shisui nodded and grinned at how smart this guy was. He had been instructed by Fugaku to obtain a Palico. Shisui didn''t mind spending any money because he was currently pretty affluent thanks to the high level tasks he had completed at the Hokage''s request. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Aoto told him about the various types of Palico he had because he was delighted he had come. Shisui selected the Gathering Palico because of its reputation for stealth. Shisui thought a Palico like this would be appropriate for him. Shisui spent 600k ryo on this without thinking twice. The collecting Palico wasn''t as expensive as the Bombardier and Healer because it was solely helpful for covert attacks. "I can sell you this but there is one condition." Before accepting the money, Aoto stated. "Condition? What condition?" Shisui began to wonder. "That you can''t die before the Palico dies." Added Aoto. Shisui responded, "Eh," thinking he hadn''t heard Aoto correctly. He then requested Aoto to repeat himself, and Aoto did so. "Are you cursing me to death?" Shisui inquired, and his expression had suddenly turned grave. "Shinobis don''t typically live long lives. Even the best ones lose in war, and they endure enormous suffering. Second Hokage, Fourth Hokage, and other quite outstanding individuals were great but perished in combat. If you pass away fairly soon, I don''t want the Palico to feel lonely." Shisui''s failure to comprehend Aoto went unnoticed by him. "So you want the Palico to pass away before I do? Is that what you''re requesting?" Shisui enquired while growing angrier by the second and got disgusted about how Aoto was treating a Palico. He really believed Aoto was requesting that he let beloved Palico pass away before he did. "Is it that hard to comprehend. Why don''t you just accept your condition and make every effort to live forever? Why not pass away in old age?" Aoto was baffled as to why this man misunderstood his two sentences. "You were the one who claimed that shinobis don''t live lengthy lives. In that regard, I will also pass away very soon." Shisui shared his viewpoint. "Then make an effort to survive all of your risks. If you can''t defeat your enemy, run." Added Aoto. "A shinobi can never evade their responsibilities. Even if doing so results in death, he or she must carry out their obligations." Shisui was being very morally upright, but he did comprehend what Aoto was attempting to say before about the problem. Aoto wanted Shisui to die old. It was a good dream, but he didn''t think it would ever come true. "Duties? Hmmm.. For example there is an enemy hell bent on destroying the world and Konoha goes and side with this person. Now, what are your responsibilities?"Unexpectedly, Aoto posed a hypothetical query. "What? What does that mean, exactly?" Shisui was baffled as to why Aoto had asked such a ridiculous query. "Yeah. Imagine that Konoha''s upper management believes it would be better to form an alliance with someone who is strong enough to destroy this wonderful world. Then, what will you do? Your duty to Konoha? Or your obligation to humanity?" Once more, Aoto gave an explanation. "Of course, I''ll accompany Konoha." After a brief pause, Shisui said. "Are you certain? Won''t you feel any remorse for the babies, the mothers, the innocents all over the world that will be killed. Konoha only has issues with the villages of the other five larger nations, so what about the smaller villages? Simply put, they are leading the best life they can." 46. Smartphones Although this was a hypothetical query that would "never" occur, Shisui felt uneasy for a little period of time as a result of his statements. In this one instance, Aoto was able to raise doubts about his obligations, and he was unable to affirm with certainty that, if the hypothetical circumstance ever materialized, he would follow Konoha''s lead. But a part of him didn''t know why felt like Aoto was questioning about his duties. One that he was obliged to do for the clan and the other for the village. Though the things weren''t that bad at the moment but the way this was going, that day might not be far. Kagami Uchiha, Shisui''s grandfather, was most likely the only Uchiha that Tobirama liked and took care of. Kagami was aware that some sacrifices would have to be made in order for Konoha to grow, and the next generation was almost raised with the same awareness. "I''m not sure," Shisui replied as he really didn''t know how he would see his responsibilities if that situation ever came. When Aoto saw his response, he felt relieved. If he indicated he would have followed Konoha''s choice, he was prepared to reject Palico''s sale. This indicated that this person at least had independent thought. He had optimism, nevertheless, because Shisui truly wanted to promote peace in the greatest way possible rather than taking the difficult route like Itachi. For this reason, he never had any doubts about him. It''s a good thing Shisui''s brain was still working. "Good that is all I need. Here." As he gave him the Palico, Aoto replied. "But I didn''t accept your condition." Shisui inquired out of confusion. "That question was to see if you can think for yourself and not just die just for the sake of the so called ''bigger picture''. Those bigger pictures will become smaller pictures when perspective changes." Aoto didn''t want to reveal more because doing so would give Shisui a spoiler and make him appear untrustworthy. Shisui gratefully welcomed the gathering palico while not really understanding what Aoto was trying to say. He was willing to put the strange interaction behind him and use the palico to train with to gauge how effective it was. Everyone had returned from the store, and John was still interested in the man, so Aoto simply explained the young man''s persona in a casual manner. He didn''t want to discuss the Uchihas much, especially at this time. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "Treat everyone fairly and refrain from prejudice like the populace does." Aoto had always mentioned this since he didn''t want his company to have a racist attitude. As they gathered for dinner, they nodded. Today, Tonkatsu Ramen was prepared by Aoto. Before, he was unable to eat it, so now that he had the fries and all, he was unable to resist cooking it. With a belly full of food he went to sleep. He was loving his life. He didn''t really have a big problem with not having chakra. Having powers meant that he would have to struggle his way forward. He had suffered during his entire prior life, and now, for the first time in his life, he felt at ease and the system had been very relaxed. He was taking his time because he wasn''t given any objectives or deadlines by which he would have to sell specific items. Overall, he felt content with how his life was going just now.
Another week had already come and gone, and it had been a very hectic one. Numerous individuals from other clans came to purchase Palico after Shisui arrived. In order to purchase palicos, the Nara clan, the Yamanaka clan, the Akimichi clan, the Sarutobi clan, and even the Hyuga clan came. The Hyuga arrived and wanted to request two Palicos, while the other clans only wanted to purchase one. Hizashi, Neji''s father, personally came to purchase two. "Umm.. You will have to sign the blood contract." Aoto asked Hizashi, perplexed as to why he desired two. It was natural that the other people were using the wait and see strategy. Prior to pursuing more, they wanted to determine whether the Palico were compatible and sufficient. But the Hyuga that arrived to make the purchase and didn''t even request the blood contract. And according to Hizashi, it was because two children were recently born. One to him and other to his brother, so the family wanted to gift them something that could be with them from a young age. And when the time was ripe, the Palicos would be made to contract with the two children. Aoto already had a good idea of which two kids they would be. Hinata and Neji. "Will you be able to control the Palico?" Asked Aoto. "I heard from Kakashi that the Palicos are very mild natured so I will trust him on that and there will always be a guard who will keep an eye on the two." Hizashi provided his justification. Aoto could understand and said promised to give them the blood contract when they grew up. Even though Aoto thought it was strange, he didn''t care. Rich individuals often had numerous kinks, and since the Hyuga were well-known for being both powerful and affluent, he Aoto was okay with that. When 10 Palico was sold, Aoto had enough money to live comfortably. He was just about to make an investment in real estate when the system''s reminder rang. [ The host is urged to save the money because it might be needed for other types of transactions in the future. ] "What? What does it mean?" [ After the upgrade, the system will have additional features that cost money to purchase. ] "What? What sort of transactions are you referring to? Can I purchase something from you? Can I purchase a laptop or a phone?" When he heard the system say that, Aoto was excited. 47. I am a businessman not a doctor The system just advised Aoto to wait while he persisted in asking questions regarding the new feature that will be made available to him. Aoto found this a little frustrating, but he realized he would need to cut costs. This brought to mind another facility that the village sadly lacked. a reliable banking system. Although there were money lending companies in the village, they lacked suitable organizational structures, and even if the community had a banking system, would it ever be a good bank? Aoto would dearly desire to start a bank, but he was confident that if he ever brought up the subject, he would have to deal with even more issues than the current Hokage. Due to the size of the industry, he would have to deal with the daimyo of the nation. But with this he could more rich than these people could even begin to imagine. "I will have to start building the bank here." Aoto pondered, but he would need appropriate assistance for this, and he already knew where to look. The Palicos would need a considerable amount of money to purchase, thus it would take some time. Those clans must be taking steps to save money in order to allow many shinobi in the clan to purchase them. He therefore had a brief window of opportunity to introduce his next great idea. He went looking for Asuma first, but after asking around, he learned that Asuma was on a mission and wasn''t in the the village. He was therefore limited to knocking on Hokage''s door. The guards and the Anbu had long since heard about Aoto, and when he arrived at the office, they acted rather respectfully toward him. The Anbu knew about the new summoning animals, and the fact that someone could even sell them indicated that they were a benefactor to Konoha and would always be respected. Particularly now, when Konoha is the focus of other villages'' attention following the Kyuubi invasion. Soon after being allowed inside, Aoto noticed the Hokage lurking behind a pile of paperwork. He was really busy and was now working through a few documents. "Aoto, you are here. Sorry have been a little busy." As he signed one document and set it to the side, Hiruzen said. "No. I apologize for disturbing you during this hectic time." Added Aoto. "Hahaha.. Every Hokage has to go through it. This document handling was one of the reason I gave up the position...." Hiruzen spoke as his expression began to wane. In addition to losing Minato and Kushina in the Kyuubi attack, he also lost his wife, who was caring for Kushina when she was pregnant. Aoto was also aware of it but chose to remain silent. There will always be conflict as long as individuals are of different power. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The weak preyed upon the strong. That''s how things are now and always will be. That was the way nature operated. The death of people was just the aftermath. Obito wouldn''t have been able to make much of an impact on Konoha by himself if he didn''t have the power. But he single handedly almost destroyed Konoha. "Uhh.. Hokage... I came here to help me in one regard." As Aoto wanted to change the subject and discuss the reason he arrived at his workplace, he said. "Sure .. Tell me.." Hiruzen spoke as he inhaled. Aoto removed a stack of scrawled-up papers and set them on the table. It appeared to be an unkempt book. Hiruzen became interested in it and began to turn the pages one by one. It took him a good 15 minutes of reading before he finally understood what this book was all about. His eyes flitted between Aoto and the text. He gave him a horrified stare. This was a monster rather than brilliance. The book provided in-depth details about the human body. He knew this because his won wife was a renowned medical ninja, he dabbled on it very vaguely and had some idea Even though there were numerous blanks and the specifics weren''t as clear, whatever he wrote was groundbreaking. Probably could be termed in the same league as Tsunade''s contribution to medical facility. "Aoto.. This.. This is amazing.. Konoha would like to buy the book." Hiruzen was honest in his speech. He was prepared to pay for this book regardless of how much it cost. Aoto, though, gave a headshake and stated. "Hokage.. It''s not as great as you think. You have seen the blanks.. I need to fill them up and the reason I came here is because I need a dead body to conduct my experiments." The suggestion was made directly by Aoto. "A corpse.. You.. You want to conduct more research?" Hiruzen could comprehend Aoto''s desire for a dead body. The pages have a lot of blank space. Simply nodding his head, Aoto. Hiruzen puffed another smoke and let go of it. "Good.. Konoha will send you three bodies by the night. And after your book is ready, Konoha would like to buy the book." Hiruzen spoken. "No.." Once more, Aoto declined. "No..?" Hiruzen gazed at Aoto, hoping for a suitable response. "I want to sell 100 books of mine at first and Konoha can do whatever it wants with my books." Added Aoto. "100 books?" Hiruzen didn''t understand. He first believed that Aoto would propose his demands, so what was up with the sale of 100 books? "Hokage, you''re forgetting that I work as a businessman and that all I want to do is make sales. If you really want to pay me, open a medical school. I may carry out additional research and write other books about the human body and the medical industry in the future. Additionally, even if this book of mine appears fine, it has flaws and I am certain that there are errors. I''ll carry on my research into human bodies along with my business." Hiruzen could easily see the confidence in the eyes of Aoto when he said that. This boy surely was ambitious. 48. The mad beast Hokage went into deep thought. He didn''t know how this kid got so much knowledge in medical field but he wouldn''t dive into as long as it was serving Konoha. In addition, he was honest and even wanted dead bodies to conduct his own experiments. He had seen the same ambitions once in his own apprentice which he had lost to the dark side. Orochimaru. And now he didn''t want this young kid to get to the dark side. Hiruzen had made his mind that he would always keep an eye at him so that he didn''t suffer the same fate as Orochimaru. And there was another thing he noticed. This kid was extremely business minded. Such kind of people were very easy to satisfy as only money could make him happy. Since he wanted at least 100 sales on books, this could be done very easily. And he even wanted to open a medical school. His apprentice Tsunade had once proposed it but it never came to fruition. Wars, her losses and at the end apathy towards her own village made many things unfinished. If this kid could at least start a medical school, than he might try to convince his apprentice to come back and show that Konoha had turned into a new leaf. "Fine. if you can really make great progress in the medical field, I will open a school and that too in your name." Hiruzen said. "What?" This time it was Aoto who was flabbergasted. He spoke of the medical school just to convince the old man, how did this become serious. Is the old man senile? But thinking about it, opening a medical school wasn''t a bad idea as long as he got book of medicine and related things in the future. Aoto after some deep thought put up a happy face and nodded. "I don''t want a school in my name. You can put Princess Tsunade''s name since she was responsible for such great medical achievements for Konoha." Hiruzen smiled at him and thanked his stars for making him proud even though he disappointed her a lot. Hiruzen gave the stack of papers back to him and promised again to send bodies by night. Aoto thanked him and went back to his shop. "System, I can keep the bodies in the system space. Right? I don''t want diseases spreading in my place." [ Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Worry not host, the system space is huge enough to fit even a planet, let alone some bodies. ] Aoto''s eyebrows raised when the system informed that. Having a space of that capacity meant that the system''s functions must be off the charts. The day went on as normal and everybody went on with their work. The new shop was getting renovated and it soon will be opened. It was late at night when Aoto had already closed the shop that someone showed up at the door with a another guy behind pulling a trolley on the road. "Kakashi, there I did it. Now you need to come with me and have a fight and see who is the best, once and for all." The man who was pushing the trolley said. It was Kakashi who had come to deliver the bodies, but he wasn''t alone. The man who had come with him was somebody who even Madara acknowledged. Might Guy. Seeing Guy pushing a trolley of three dead bodies, he was pretty sure that Kakashi might have cheated this guy again while making Guy do his job instead. Though Kakashi was still in a little sad mood since he had lost the last remaining people who were very close to him, the other people like Guy, Asuma, Kurenai had helped him recover a lot. And thus when Hiruzen had sent him a work to bring three dead bodies for Aoto, he found Guy and made him come in this below F level mission. It was not supposed to be the work of Jonin like him, but Kakashi was free at the time and Aoto knew of him from before. And thus he just sent Kakashi for getting bodies from outside the village after killing some bandits. "Guy.. It''s already late at night.. Don''t tell me you want to compete with in complete darkness. You will lose." Kakashi replied. "Eh.. A strong guy like me could always see in darkness." Guy said. Kakashi didn''t any attention to him and looked at Aoto. "We meet again.." "Kakashi-san, I didn''t expect that the Hokage would send you for this trivial work." Aoto was really surprised. This Hokage was treating him too good. Like he was some kind of precious gem. "Hahahah.. Aoto, what are you going to do with it?" Kakashi was curious when Hokage asked him to get bodies for Aoto. This was not conventional at all. Aoto gave a smirk and didn''t reveal at all. Since the Hokage had kept his mouth shut, he should be respectful to it. Guy meanwhile looked at Aoto up and down to see what was up with this kid for asking dead bodies. His pea sized brain wasn''t able to make up any scenarios and thus was more curious than Kakashi but didn''t say a word to Aoto since he didn''t know him personally. He as more interested in battling Kakashi than the bodies. After delivering Kakashi went on his way while Guy followed him shouting for a battle to which Kakashi ignored. Aoto just shook his head. He would love to interact with Guy but there was nothing that could be used to scam this guy. Maybe the health potion would work after he used his Eight Inner Gates but as of now he couldn''t sell the health potion, that thing will cause a furor in Konoha. Forget about Konoha, even the other villages will come after him. He didn''t need that kind of public ire at the moment. Aoto returned to his home after dragging the bodies inside and keeping it inside the system space. 49. The pervert is here After lugging the bodies for a while and keeping them in the system''s space, Aoto was back at his house. He would have to delay actually delivering the book since he would need a few days to carry out his "said experiments." The following few days passed as usual till the conclusion of the week. The week had been quite noisy for Aoto and his employees. It was because their brand-new store was undergoing renovations and a thorough makeover. One renovation is for the lower floor, and the other is for the top storey and is completely different. Since more individuals had joined the remodeling as the contract came under the words of Hokage himself, the renovation was completed in such a hurry that even Teuchi was forced to leave his shop to inquire as to what was going on. When Teuchi learned that Aoto had just brought himself another business, he was shocked. He was pleased to see how quickly his friend''s son was becoming well-known and financially successful. Although it appeared to be some type of miracle, he was not envious. He had witnessed the new discoveries that had made him wealthy and famous. He deserved every bit of it. In fact his new style of chicken making had given him many ideas and right now he was trying to perfect tonkatsu, after the name coined by Aoto himself. Finally, the weekend arrived, and the basement floor of a new restaurant with a red motif was now open. The opening of this restaurant in Konoha was a first of its sort. The letters KFC was written in normal white font on a pure red background with the face of Ned Stark. Aoto made a really strange decision, but he stuck with it. Since John was in charge of KFC, he suggested using his father''s image as the company''s logo. When John initially learned that his father would be the KFC brand ambassador, he felt extremely uncomfortable and refused to agree. But Aoto went along with it. John already had a face that attracted attention and his father too was quite handsome, so there would be more people coming in for sure. The KFC''s interior was constructed using the same methods used to construct KFCs in his home nations. There was a counter with many personnel who could take orders, and the kitchen behind had every cutting-edge appliance currently available. The tables were little but adorable. As of right now, only John would be in charge, and Aoto was able to secure Ayame''s employment at the fast food outlet. Aoto believed that people would come to this event regardless of whether there was a grand opening or not. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He was certain that the fast food restaurant would succeed even in the absence of a formal opening and notoriety. He also added two new items to the Konoha Fried Chicken menu. French fries and a burger. The potatoes would be purchased at the market alongside the other items, and the sliced buns would be baked in Aoto''s bakery. "This is the most innovative restaurant I have ever seen," "To be quite honest, when I first arrived and saw the red-themed restaurant being built, I initially thought I would detest the color. However, it now looks amazing." "Who is the man in the brand name, by the way? Have you previously seen him?" "No. He doesn''t resemble the charming manager or the business owner. Who is he? I''m curious." The women and children came in droves to the KFC when it first opened, and they were the first customers. As John, Ayame, and Aoto collected orders, the women in line were the first to start chatting. Ayame was glad to join because she was getting paid, and her father was on board with this as well. A part of Teuchi wanted this daughter to wed Aoto because he had already done so much for his family. He was encouraging his daughter to join his business as a result. Of course, neither of the two had such ideas in their minds; they were simply pals. Even though John and Aoto could clearly hear these women gossiping, they remained silent until prodded. Some women asked John since they couldn''t keep their interest to themselves. He provided the right response. The man in the brand''s logo was his adoptive who brought him up and made him what he was today. The women began to love John even more as a result of this. The women sympathized with him more and ordered more food from the counter. Aoto was more than glad to profit from pity after seeing this. The children and the women ordered the new items. The majority of the customers came to check out the restaurant''s other new offerings after hearing or tasting the chicken, and they weren''t let down. Fries and hamburgers were a huge success right away. The only thing the KFC was missing was a cold beverage. The beverages still hadn''t been created. There was soda water for sure but no added sugar in it. To try to make cold drinks, Aoto would need to speak with the soda water manufacturers here. However, this was a future idea, and KFC was the first priority right now. Due to their desire to attract Konoha residents, the restaurant opened relatively late on the weekend. Following the attractive and youthful women, some guys followed to see what all the buzz was about. Among these men, one man grabbed Aoto''s eye while he was receiving orders. The man surveyed the attractive women with a spooky grin on his face. His gaze was drawn particularly to the backs and chests of ladies. The man was moving, actively jotting notes. He was holding a massive scroll behind his back and had long, white hair that flowed like a lion''s mane. There was only one person who fit that description. One of the three fabled Sanins, Jiraya. 50. Why do you hate me? The women and kids were too preoccupied to notice a white haired man leeching on the attractive women while grinning ominously. When Aoto first saw the familiar face in person, he initially became a little emotional. Jiraya appeared a little younger than he did in the actual series, but his happy demeanor and expression remained. Jiraya was one of the characters who most affected Aoto. But when he noticed this middle-aged man skulking among the women, all of his good feelings towards him quickly faded. Aoto was incredibly tempted to use the strength of the system that covered the shop to give this guy a lesson. All he wanted to do was beat him up and throw him out. He was also quite furious because this man was enjoying himself instead of taking care of his apprentice''s son, who had just lost his parents a few days earlier. John had observed Aoto become agitated and knew right away why he was making that grimace. He approached Jiraya and inquired. "Can I be of any help to you?" John and Arya had been receiving instruction from Aoto on how to provide for others and carry out their jobs all these days. Aoto was fairly skilled at this profession because he had previously worked as a waiter in many places to make ends meet. John and Arya both picked up new skills quickly and picked up on their duties rapidly. "Ahh.. No... Nothing.. eh! Hey young man you are quite the handsome one.. Though not as handsome as me.. What is your name?" Jiraya was startled by John''s lovely and attractive features when she was otherwise preoccupied. "John Stark. Do you want to order some food here." John was unconcerned with the compliments from this middle-aged man and was more interested in learning about his motivations. "Stark? Never heard of them. What a weird name. Food.. Ah yes.. Totally forgot that this is a restaurant. Young man, I have never seen these food items in my travel. Can you tell me more about these? You see I am writing a book while I am travelling and want to get new ideas." John wanted to yell at him and claim that he was just ogling the women, but he had to act as politely as he could given that technically he had done nothing wrong and that in the culture he came from, such behavior was common. John only realized those things might be accusatory for many people at this point. John continued by telling him about the novel food. John was taken aback by the fact that the man with the white hair appeared to be really curious about the new foods. Finally, after hearing what John had to say, he placed his order for chicken wings and french fries. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. For him, John took the order and got to work. Aoto had been watching him during the entire ordeal. After ordering the food he sat at the most corner table of the restaurant alone. He initially sat and preoccupied himself with observing the women and taking notes, but after a few minutes, his expression turned from delight to a little dejected. Aoto had also observed the change. The lunch was ready after about 10 minutes, and John called him to come get it. "So this is chicken? Looks like some kind of fries." Jiraya declared. "It''s fried chicken, sir." Instead of John, Aoto arrived and responded. "Oh.. So that is what the name means." Jiraya grunted. He picked up the food tray and returned to his previous seat. He pulled out the sauce and squirted it onto the dish after reading the directions. He dipped the chicken in the sauce before biting into it. After taking a mouthful, his face immediately lit up, and he continued to devour the chicken and french fries with a voracious appetite. He genuinely adored the flavor. Aoto grinned when he noticed Jiraya''s radiant face. He felt a little self-satisfaction. After finishing her meal, Jiraya remained at the table and continued to sit. He occasionally wrote notes and appeared a little dazed. Soon it was late at night and was time to close the shop that Aoto noticed that Jiraya was still sitting in his table. Although Aoto had taken notice of his appearance at first, he soon became overwhelmed with work and quickly forgot about the man. Thus he was taken aback to see him there when Aoto emerged from the counter to clean and close the shop. "Sir, it''s time to close the doors. If you like our food so much, the restaurant will be open after 11 am tomorrow." formally said Aoto. "Oh is it time already... Hahahah.. Stupid me. I failed to notice the time...Sorry." Jiraya responded, appearing to have forgotten the passing of time. "No problem, sir. If you enjoy our meal, I hope you''ll visit us again." Jiraya gave a head nod before putting his notebook back in his bag. "Considering that the restaurant would soon close, could you perhaps explain your dislike for me?" Jiraya spoke out of the blue while inspecting his backpack. When he asked Aoto that, Jiraya didn''t even bother to look at him. This caught Aoto by surprise. He didn''t expect a direct question out of nowhere. "I apologize. I didn''t understand what you are saying." Aoto answered. "You have been viewing me as some sort of obtrusive object ever since you first laid eyes on me. I am curious. I don''t remember annoying anyone of your face and your age so I want to know why you hate me?" Jiraya posed a straightforward question. "I don''t believe I have ever said anything unkind to you to make you feel hated, sir." Aoto defended himself. "Kid, I have been a shinobi more than your current age. I can see the hatred in your eyes quite clearly for me, so I want to know why this is the case?" Jiraya enquired. 51. I will be a pervert somewhere else Aoto was momentarily perplexed as to what to reply in this situation. Jiraya was his idol, and his gallantry helped him forget who he really was. He was pervert at first and from the society he hailed from, this act was particularly frowned upon. If caught, the person would often be sent to jail. He was also upset for his own private reasons, which were yet another factor. He had lost his parents in this world, and he couldn''t help but wonder how many deaths would have been prevented if Jiraya and Tsunade had been present. Sadly, in the real world there were no ifs. Even though he was furious, he wasn''t crazy to believe that the two Sanins were solely to blame for whatever had happened to his parents. They departed Konoha in part because all three of them had undergone personal change as a result of the conflicts. One grew completely corrupted, one simply detested Konoha and had a phobia of blood, while another merely desired to calm himself amongst the world''s populace. However, it was undeniable that Aoto had feelings of hatred for Jiraya for those two reasons in particular at that specific time. Someone once said, never meet your heroes. It was perfectly timed for Aoto at the time. Aoto responded since he was questioned. "Jiaraya-sama, it''s highly inappropriate for you to discreetly gawk the women when everyone here is only here to have fun and purchase delectable cuisine. Do you not agree?" Aoto made no effort to hide the fact that he knew Jiraya. When Jiraya turned to face Aoto, his brows slightly raised. "Oh... So people in the village still recognize me... Hahahaha.. I am honored..." Jiraya laughed and he didn''t even put his accusation in his eyes. This made Aoto''s eyes more cold and he was just a few more words away from throwing the legendary Sanin out of the restaurant. "Kid... I am not ogling the women.. I am..." Jiraya began to speak, but Aoto interrupted him before he could continue. "In order to finish your books. I know.. But that still doesn''t give you the rights to be a pervert." Aoto just finished Jiraya''s sentence. This time, Jiraya was astonished. Only a select few people were aware of the explanation for his perverse habit. He was certain that Aoto was an unknown, so how could this man know about him? He became more cautious as a result and started to take Aoto more seriously. This kid wasn''t an easy kid. Aoto was perplexed by Jiraya''s reply but quickly saw where he had erred after observing Jiraya''s alertness. He shouldn''t have opened his mouth about his books. He wasn''t meant to know, and in his rage, he revealed some information that only a select few individuals were aware of. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "System, if he attacks don''t kill him, just restrain him." [ Understood, host ] "Kid, I don''t remember saying this to other people." Jiraya enquired in a solemn manner. "Well, I''ve read Tales of a Gutsy Ninja before, which is your most well-known work. I saw you here taking notes while looking around so I believe that you are doing it for your new book." Without batting an eye, Aoto said in the most convincing way possible. When Aoto explained it to Jiraya, his arched eyebrows softened a little. Even though he didn''t fully believe Aoto''s remarks, he relaxed his guard. He could already sense that the youngster and those running the eatery were merely regular folks who couldn''t do any harm to anyone. However, he also had regular spies operating all over the world who would provide him with information so that someone else could employ the same strategy with Konoha. "You are very observant kid but I don''t think that was your reason for your hatred towards me. Am I right?" Jiraya''s question gave off the impression that being a pervert was commonplace. Even after the brief talk, Aoto didn''t anticipate being struck by that subject. "If you, a Sanin was here, maybe my parents would have survived." A part of Aoto genuinely spoke the truth when he did so. This time again, it was Jiraya who was surprised by Aoto''s remark. A little taken aback, he turned to face Aoto. He was aware of what Aoto was getting at. The Kyuubi attack likely claimed the lives of Aoto''s parents, and many Konoha residents shared Aoto''s idea that if the Sanins had been present, there wouldn''t have been as many casualties. It''s possible that even the fourth hokage lived. For a moment, Jiraya was silent while he hung his head. He sprang up from his chair after that and gave Aoto a bear embrace. Aoto initially believed that Jiraya was going to harm him, but since the system didn''t intervene to stop Jiraya, it was clear that nothing was wrong. Aoto felt a little more at ease after the hug, but he didn''t hug Jiraya back. "I am sorry." Jiraya spoke softly in his ear. When he did, Aoto could hear the pause in his voice. He was on the verge of tears. Aoto had forgotten that Jiraya himself lost many things over the years. His friend Orochimaru, his love Tusnade who never saw him as anything more, his apprentice, his apprentice''s wife and more people in the wars. Aoto had recently lost his parents, who he had never met and only had recollections of. Without a doubt, Jiraya was in worse pain than he was. Aot then proceeded to hug Jiraya back. "I am sorry for saying such hurtful words to you. I didn''t mean it." Added Aoto. Jiraya responded by continuing to give him a stronger hug. After a brief embrace, Jiraya resumed being his typically joyful self. "Kid, I am sorry for being a pervert here." Jiraya laughed as she said. If he said he was on the verge of tears a minute ago, no one would believe him. "Old man, what does that mean? You will be a pervert somewhere else?" The fact that this individual wasn''t willing to admit his sinister motives irritated Aoto. 52. Communism "Hahaha.. You are quite the observant one, kid." Jiraya declared. "The same has been said by others." Aoto replied in a little irritated and proud tone. "Who? The Hokage?" Jiraya asked, abruptly putting an end to his lighthearted grin and turning a little grave. When Aoto heard Jiraya say that, his mouth formed an O. Jiraya appeared content after wiping the child''s pride away. "What? You believed that I had simply entered the eatery by accident. I will confess that your meal is excellent, however it is insufficient to catch my interest." Jiraya chuckled as she spoke. "You talked with the Hokage?" Aoto inquired without thinking about his narcissism. "What do you think?" Jiraya stated. When Aoto saw how this man behaved, he was speechless. "Then you are here on purpose. Is there something you want?" Asked Aoto. "Hahahah.. I don''t wany anything. Your meal is excellent. I simply want to know more about your so-called Palickos. Can I see one? I''ve traveled for years, but I''ve never come across anyone trying to sell summoning animals. Although this was supposed to be a closed trade, you''ve just altered the entire operation." Jiraya said. Aoto now saw why Jiraya had lingered at their diner for so long. His dislike was just brought up as a conversation starter to bring up the subject of Palickos. He looked at Jiraya and then nodded. Arya and John had already finished cleaning the restaurant by that point. Aoto didn''t yet open the Victoria''s Secret and now that Jiraya was here he was glad he didn''t open it today or else he would have flocked at the shop like a fly. Aoto had decided that he would put signs stating ''no pervert allowed'' outside when he would open the shop in a few days. After closing the store, they both proceeded to the primary bakery and instructed Jiraya to wait there. After a short while, Aoto emerged from the kitchen holding two different types of Palickos and placing them on the counter. When Jiraya saw the cats, his face immediately became radiant. He adored animals in general and the cats in particular, and he couldn''t help but pet them. He played with them, petted them, and even fed them food that he had carried in his pouch throughout the course of the following five minutes. "So Jiraya-sama, want to buy one?" Whether he loved them or not didn''t matter to Aoto. He wished to know if he intended to purchase. He shook his head, much to Aoto''s dismay. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "No. I was just curious and contracting them would make me feel like I have cheated on my summoning beast, especially after what they had done for me over the years." Jiraya stated. Aoto recognized his meaning. His affiliations to Mount My¨­boku definitely would make him feel like that. After all, Sage mode was taught him to by them. Despite his disappointment, he refrained from criticizing Jiraya for wasting his time. "Are you willing to sell them outside of Konoha?" Jiraya abruptly questioned. "Good joke, Jiraya-sama. If I do that, I am sure I will hanged for treason." Added Aoto. "That implies that you do consider selling it outside." Jiraya questioned as she observed Aoto''s fear of Konoha''s powerful individuals rather than his rejection of the concept of not selling such a potent asset outside Konoha. "Jiraya-sama, you have fought in wars. What do you think is the main reason we won in wars?" Asked again by Aoto. "Huh.. Hmm... Let me see.. It''s because Konoha is more powerful than the rest." Jiraya was baffled as to why Aoto had chosen to discuss wars given that he had never actually been involved in or witnessed one. "Logistics and tactics played a huge role, but your are right, the primary reason we won in wars was because we were more powerful. Then tell me Jiraya-sama what would happen if everybody had the same amount of power?" Aoto re-asked. "Same amount of power? You mean if all the villages were on equal footing?" Jiraya enquired. Aoto responded by nodding. "Hmm, I''m not sure." Jiraya had never considered it, therefore he actually had no idea. The idea of equality was ludicrous since it was both impossibly unrealistic and unattainable. It was just a dream. "I will tell you what will happen. There will be no wars, but we both know that it''s impossible. Equality is a pipe dream. That could never happen nor it should happen because it would lead to collapse of society if everything and everyone were equals. Now let me ask another question, if Konoha has a weapon that could threaten all the villages, what will happen then?" Asked Aoto. "Kid, you are asking too many things that don''t coincide with your age." Jiraya was a little angry when he noticed that this child had suddenly started preaching to him about the state of the world. He had seen more world than this could ever imagine. "Even the Hokage has attested to your claim that I am exceedingly intelligent, which you made yourself. If you don''t want to respond to my query, that''s fine. However, we are both aware that if the other villages found out that Konoha had a strong weapon, they would all attack us out of fear." Jiraya''s annoyance had no effect on Aoto; he simply said what was on his mind. The only person with whom he could discuss his objectives and aspirations without fear of offending the Hokage or the other Jonins was Jiraya. Jiraya''s response was to simply stare at Aoto. The few words and questions he posed were really good and couldn''t help but praise the intelligence of this nobody that he was just a little curious about. He had heard about how Aoto had great affinity to Yin and Yang release and the Hokage himself had sent Jiraya to see if Aoto could be taken as a disciple. He was too talented in Yin and Yang release to be left. He was now beginning to realize that his intelligence might be superior to his ninjutsu. 53. Thank god he left "I know that I have taken the oath of not to sell Palickos outside of Konoha and I would never go back on my words. Nor do I wish to. But how long can Konoha hide the fact about the Palicos and they come running after me?" Added Aoto. His statements made complete sense. Many Jonins and even Chunins may soon have Palicos while on missions, and the other villages may soon learn about these awesome contract beasts. It wouldn''t be long before they would target Aoto. This was a huge problem for Konoha. Aoto would need to be hidden if they wanted to keep him secure. "Konoha will constantly watch over you. A jonin will be sent to protect you at all times." Jiraya declared. Aoto just stated while shaking his head. "I don''t need protection here. If I need one, I will ask for it." Aoto said without any care. At least in his own home, he felt the safest here. He constantly worked during the day and avoided going out at night to avoid being taken by Danzo. He was confident that Hiruzen wouldn''t hesitate to knock on Danzo''s door and free him if he were abducted during the day. "Then what do you want?" Jiraya enquired. "To help me when I need it and not bother me." Aoto said as he needed to gain support from trustworthy people. One of the reliable individuals was Jiraya, and he unquestionably required his assistance if he was in need. Jiraya got into thinking. This kid just made a roundabout method to pull him into his support. Jiraya was experienced enough to know that even if his actions wasn''t liked by the kid, he did want him to be his friend. And it wasn''t simply fawning over stories of him being a Sanin; what he wanted was a true friendship. "Alright kid, you have my support. But I won''t be in Konoha for too long. So whatever favor you need, you should ask fast. The Hokage had sent me to take you as an apprentice but from your words I can tell that you don''t want to practice at all. I hope you can change your decision. You have too high of a talent to waste away." ''This old man isn''t leaving him!'' "For now, I don''t need any help. I have already told Hokage that I won''t practice ninjutsu. Making those moving frogs was just a dart in the dark. He values me too highly." Once more, Aoto declined. He wasn''t a genius; he simply used the system to distribute those. If he began to train, he would be exposed the very next second. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Sigh! Fine." Jiraya spoke as he gently stood up and strapped his enormous scroll around his shoulder. It was late and it was time to leave. "Kid, I will see you soon. Your world views are quite interesting." Jiraya declared as he bid Aoto farewell. Aoto just smirked at Jiraya. Aoto was a little worn out after closing the store. Along with the work of opening the shop, the mental struggle and talking made him feel tired. When speaking with Jiraya, Aoto had to specifically ask the system to hide his trepidation and lies. He had to exercise caution. Even though he spoke excessively and demonstrated his knowledge of the outside world despite the fact that he hadn''t ventured outside, it was still okay because the news of the occurrences would be spread to the general populace. Aoto should be careful not to leak information about anything but the top-secret ones. Aoto came to the realization that when speaking with significant individuals, he needed to restrain his emotions and his speech. With such ideas in his head, he dozed off.
"Jiraya.. Have you spoken to him? How do you feel about him?" "You are right Sensei. He is quite odd and is much more intelligent than the normal kids out there." "Did you succeed in persuading him to become your apprentice?" "Sensei, I already told you I am not interested in another apprentice. The last one.... Moreover, he isn''t a bit interested in ninjutsu. I would suggest that we should just protect him for now. If he is one day interested in ninjutsu, he will come to us to learn. Didn''t you say that he is also a genius in medical field? Let him concentrate on that. Once he realizes that ninjutsu is required in his field he will come running by to learn." "..." "I am sorry Jiraya for what has happened to Minato. I wish I could have saved him." "..." "I am leaving.. Take care of their son."
One week had gone by since Jiraya had visited his restaurant. KFC bloomed in full force. Numerous people showed up. In the afternoon, John opened the small cart shop near the school, while at the evening he opened the KFC restaurant. People pleaded with Aoto to extend the hours of operation. He didn''t want to make these people fatter and lose battles in the frontline. Not everybody in the village belonged to the Akimichi clan. Speaking of Akimichi clan, many people from their clan had become a regular customer in their restaurant and Aoto was happy to serve them. Such a huge cash cow? How could he let them leave. The other store above KFC was scheduled to open today. Aoto felt it was the proper moment to open the Victoria''s Secret store after waiting and making sure the pervert had left Konoha. Despite the opening''s relative silence, people did pay attention to it. Many people were drawn in by the attractive mannequins in sexy lingeries that were positioned in front of the glass, but perhaps out of embarrassment, no one came on the first day of the store''s opening. Arya''s first customer came to her on the second day. She had been quite moody since the moment she opened the shop as she felt it was a bit insulting to her but she also knew that she had no choice here. 54. Just refuse, why bother the theatrics If Aoto was here, he would have recognized the first customer. Since it was a ladies shop, Aoto refrained from working here and only hoped that Arya would do his job. A rather well-known Jonin was the first visitor. Mitarashi Anko. The apprentice of Orochimaru. The one who got fat at the end and played by Yakushi Kabuto during the 4th Great ninja war. The one who used to wear fishnets and dress sexily. When she entered and began to explore the various products, she became immediately enthralled. She purchased herself four sets of underwear after nearly half an hour of shopping. She adored the design and feel of the fabric on her skin. Someone who had a thorough understanding of a woman''s physique did this. "I enjoy using your goods." "Thank you, Miss. I am happy.. Umm.. Happy to serve you." "Hahaha .. It seems you are really new to this work. You don''t have to be so formal with me, so don''t worry. Show your best stuff the next time, and everything will be alright." Added Anko. Arya was completely at ease after hearing her remarks. She had terrible manners, and this trait persisted even after she reached adulthood. She was taught to cringe and despise the manners that were displayed in public. Especially in the current society where manners seemed to be ingrained into people. Aoto, in all honesty, even found it a little constricting with all the formalities and respect that had to be offered to everyone. But since this was his life, he was powerless to change it. After making a purchase, Anko returned to her house. She was going to try it out. Later that evening, Arya mentioned the one and only person who had visited her that day, and Aoto knew who she was right away. This made him delighted since it showed that lingerie sales were moving in the right direction. He could only hope that other women would become interested in lingerie as well and aid in the sale at this point. He would complete his mission if he could sell 100 of the products. A sizable number of people visited the Victoria Secret store over the following few days. Few of the women who visited KFC would glance up and show curiosity in the novel type of store. KFC and John''s good looks helped Victoria Secret sell more products, which was relieving for Aoto. He returned to work at the bakery after noticing that everything was in its proper position. Victoria Secret could keep working with Arya while KFC could rely on Ayame and John to help them. On this particular day, a family had visited his store to purchase the rare item. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. A very famous family. The family of Sasuke. Fugaku, Mikoto, Itachi and baby Sasuke. When the family knocked on his door, Aoto almost jumped onto his set. Few days ago it was Shisui and now the clan leader of Uchiha. He only prayed Danzo didn''t knock on his door the next. And if he did, it better be Danzo himself. He would definitely teach him a lesson. "Welcome. How can I help you?" Aoto posed as polite as possible and enquired. It was Mikoto who replied. "I''ve heard the chicken out here is excellent. I want to try some." "Uh.. Ma''am.. What you are asking for is on the other shop, not here." Aoto expressed it gently. "We know that and we also know that the restaurant belongs to you. We came here to buy your Palicos." Fugaku spoke in a very solemn manner. When Mikoto overheard her husband being bitter, her brows wrinkled a little. She immediately said. "I apologize for my husband''s impolite behavior. I hope you won''t mind him. We are just more interested in palico right now than the food and hope we can buy two for our children." Mikoto stood forward and expressed her regrets for her spouse. Fugaku remained silent and fixed his sharp eyes on Aoto. He had heard about Aoto from Shisui and how he had posed a very weird question to Shisui. Though he acted rudely in front of Aoto, he secretly applauded his attitude towards Shisui. He posed Shisui a question that made even made him stump. He was unsettled by his trust in his commitment to Konoha as the clan''s words of disapproval and displeasure gradually rose. He had already awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan from the war and had read the Stone tablet that was under the Naka Shrine, which had been passed through generations. Reading the tablet, really gave him a different perspective and a plan of coup d''¨¦tat was slowly forming in his mind. The idea was quite hazy, and he hoped that things would turn out much better, but the seed of rebellion was already planted in his head. Aoto''s words had a considerably greater effect on him as a result. "No.. No.. I don''t mind. I am honored that the clan head of Uchiha has come to my shop." Observing that Aoto wasn''t too bothered, Mikoto grinned. Itachi was interested in the shopkeeper after hearing how he would be his buddy. It''s enough to say that he was a little enthusiastic. Though he was only six years old and had made enormous mental strides relative to his age, some things had always excited him. "Umm.. Sir, do you know the special condition of buying Palicos?" Aoto requested that Palicos be brought out before entering. "The condition that one can''t die before the Palico dies?" Fugaku enquired. He had heard of this odd condition from Shisui. Aoto made a head nod. "We can promise you that our children will have long lives." said Fugaku. Aoto merely gave Fugaku a brief momentary glance before speaking. "Can I look over your children''s bodies?" Out of nowhere, Aoto made a bold statement. Both Mikoto and Fugaku''s faces changed in response to this question. This was asking too much. "Kid, just say that you don''t want to sell your Palicos to us. Why go a roundabout way to refuse?" The request from Aoto infuriated Fugaku. 55. Can somebody explain what is going on? "We''re heading out," Fugaku was quite irate. His flowing black hair swayed as he started walking out while holding his wife. She too appeared to be really upset. Itachi, who was carrying his sibling, felt awful as well and followed his parents. His entire excitement was lost in smoke. "Please. Can you hear me out for a second?" When Aoto saw the couple was about to open the door, he called out because he hadn''t anticipated such a strong reaction for them. Immediately, both Fugaku and Mikoto turned their heads to look at Aoto with menacing eyes. Eyes that had their Sharingan activated. Both of them used their genjutsu at Aoto to stop him from calling at them and teach him a small lesson. [ Ill intentions towards host detected, taking necessary steps... ] Both Fugaku and Mikoto felt their genjutsu rebound, and on top of that, blood was trickling from one of Mikoto''s eyes and the side of Fugaku''s mouth. Fugkau felt like he had been punched in the gut with an extreme force while Mikoto felt like she had seen some the hot sun up close and this made her bleed. They were both appalled. They quickly realized that when they used their genjutsu, it had no effect on Aoto; instead, it temporarily put them under genjutsu, causing them to lose. Particularly Fugaku, who was a very strong shinboi in the genjutsu world and had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan. How could there be someone who was better at genjutsu than him? That too in Konoha. He looked around right away, convinced that someone was defending him because he had been caught off guard, but he could see no one. He positioned himself between Aoto and his family and gave him the look of someone ready to fight. Although he was unaware of what was happening, his family came first. Itachi was still holding his brother, who was draped in a cloth around his neck, when he secretly pulled a kunai from his back after noticing the blood from his parents. When the system alerted him, Aoto was a bit taken aback himself. He was also a little caught off-guard to see how effortlessly the system dispatched one of Konoha''s most formidable shinobi. He merely saw the results and wasn''t even able to see how the system responded. "Aoto Yamazaki, you have surprised me." Speaking as he too pulled out a kunai, Fugaku said. Aoto was pulled back to the present by his comments. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Fugaku-san, I am sorry, but it was you who wanted to attack me." Aoto said and this time his tone from the usual someone who was here to sell to a person who was talking with someone equal. Fugaku''s eyes gradually transformed from having one tomoe sharingan to having three tomoe sharingans. He was prepared to stand his ground and fight for his family. He didn''t give a damn about the repercussions, and his family came first. "System, please render Itachi unconscious and let him forget what he just witnessed." Asked Aoto. [ Yes, host. ] In the next moment, Itachi felt his head had become heavy out of nowhere and the scenes around started becoming hazy. His eyelids closed, and before he knew it, he was unconscious. Mikoto held his son before he fell to the ground after noticing the change in him. Naturally, Fugaku saw it as well and hurled the kunai towards Aoto. "Itachi!!" "Itachi.. What have your done..?" Fugaku almost let out a shout. His next action was motivated only by rage. Since genjutsu didn''t work, what about shurikenjutsu? One kunai changed into two in midair and moved to strike Aoto in the belly. It was inches before touching the body of Aoto before it stopped and fell down. Fugaku failed to notice how it came to a stop because it happened so quickly. He couldn''t see anything even if he tried. The mechanism was far too advanced for someone like Fugaku to understand. He was once more taken aback when he realized the kunai had no effect. What was happening? "Fugaku- san can you please calm down?" When Aoto noticed that Fugaku was prepared to conduct ninjustu, he stated. "Release Itachi from your genjutsu. I don''t know how you were able to stop my kunai, but it won''t matter if I burn your whole shop down. " "Fugaku-san, don''t you think your wife would have been able to free him if it had been genjutsu? Could you kindly take a moment to collect yourself and speak? Itachi is alright. He only momentarily lost consciousness. Your situation would become increasingly dangerous the more problems you cause. And the danger wouldn''t be coming from me but from Konoha." Added Aoto. Fugaku tensed up briefly as the last words served as an oblique warning that Konoha had been keeping an eye on him and his clan for some time. Konoha would crack down more firmly on him if he actually caused more problems here. Even though he was certain that no one was watching him just now, it wouldn''t take long to draw their attention. However, as he turned to face the sleeping Itachi, he almost raised his hand to his mouth in an attempt to set the area on fire. Mikoto put her hand on his shoulder before he made a mouth blow, though. This made him stop and look at her. She signaled for him to settle down by shaking her head. "We are willing to talk with you with the promise that you will release our child." said Mikoto. "Sigh! I''ve already mentioned Itachi is alright, Mikoto-san. He won''t remember what just happened when he wakes up after you leave the store." Added Aoto. Mikoto and Fugaku were both astonished at this point. It was understandable¡ªweird, but understandable¡ªto make someone fall into genjutsu and even render him impervious to the effects of outside chakra. But what was wrong with him having the ability to alter memories? Who was this youngster? He was able to fight off and even defeat the Uchiha clan''s genjutsu attack. 56. I am not Hidan Mikoto set Itachi over a table to the side while holding Sasuke in her hands. In frustration over what had happened to her handsome son, she clinched her fists. She was more upset about what had happened than Fugaku, but they couldn''t blow the matter out of proportion at this instant. At this point, the Uchiha family could not make another error. Fugaku and Mikoto both were considerably more composed now as they stood facing Aoto. "Why are you doing this to us?" Fugaku immediately questioned. He was merely curious as to why Aoto was pursuing them after being so kind to Shisui. "You are seriously not udnerstanding? I''m not pursuing you. You were the one who struck me. I defended." Aoto spoke the truth. "As far as I''m aware, you''ve never attended a ninja academy and haven''t studied any ninja methods. You have done more than enough to merit being imprisoned on charges of spying in Konoha based on what you just did." said Fugaku. Aoto chuckled while listening to Fugaku. "Let''s not fool ourselves, Fugaku-san. The only thing it will do is to make the senior management suspicious of you because you won''t be able to show them that I am a spy. The elders will see it as an attempt to discredit someone who is legitimately providing Konoha with medical supplies and summoning creatures." Fugaku ceased talking. Aoto had already developed into a valuable strategic asset for Konoha, and no one would ever be permitted to hurt him. It would become more and more difficult to demonstrate that Aoto was a spy of any type. "Then why did you want to check on Itachi? As a shinobi you know doing this is very disrespectful. And you even cursed our child of dying young." Mikoto made a statement. "Mikoto-san, imagine for a moment that I didn''t curse your child and that he actually had a serious illness, perhaps a fatal one. In that case, what would you do?" Asked Aoto. Fugaku and Mikoto weren''t prepared for those words. In their imagination their children were perfect, though Fugaku was hard on his kids, it didn''t mean that he wasn''t proud of them. His son was more of a genius than he ever was. Therefore, he didn''t think his son contracting any diseases, but after hearing what Aoto mentioned, it made sense. "How do you know my son is sick?" Fugaku enquired. "I didn''t say I am sure. I am saying that I check on people before I sell my wares. I did the same with my cigarettes and controlled the supply, and even for the chicken, I wouldn''t allow too much be sold on one particular person for a long period of time. The same is true for your kids. What if there is a probability that one of your children would develop a terminal illness and pass away before their time? What would happen to the Palico I handed him at that point? Wouldn''t that Palico be heartbroken?" Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "But that is invasion of his privacy." Fugaku retaliated. Even if Aoto''s statements made sense, he wasn''t ready to merely let a complete stranger like Aoto, who displayed incredible skills, gaze up at him. Aoto was very close to the upper echelon and he even said that he could erase memories. What if Aoto used some techniques to control his son? He didn''t want to take that chance. "That''s okay. You are not required to believe me because I am not a doctor. Good technology and equipment would soon be available in hospitals to quickly and effectively detect diseases. You can check there with your children. Although the current medical standards are not up to par, they will be shortly. In fact, you should both go in for routine exams." Aoto spoke, trying to make a joke at the last end. He had a good feeling that the pair would enjoy giving him a few punches. They were merely holding back for the benefit of their kin and offspring. "So this was all about the health of my children and your business ethics? How do you explain your ninja techniques then?" Even if they did go and tell the higher ups, he would be more protected since Hokage would think he had gained better control on his Yin and Yang release. So he was free of any worry. "Fugaku-san, I make a living by selling summoning creatures. You can''t expect me not to have some cards up my sleeves, can you? Additionally, it''s not just your kids. I have concern for all kids. It''s fine if its older men and women, but children are easily to get attached with. I''ll treat the Hyuga family similarly. Actually, I should have posted a sign stating the terms." Aoto spoke without showing any of his hands. What these two thought of his invincibility didn''t matter to him. "Then why do you look so convinced that my children had some problems?" Fugaku inquired since he knew Aoto gave Itachi a few side-eyes when he enquired about his kids. He unmistakably focused only on Itachi, not Sasuke. His instincts informed him that Aoto didn''t have clear eyes for Itachi and believed the boy had a problem. "Did I? I don''t remember giving out that vibe." Aoto declined and simply grinned back. "So you''ll sell us the Palico if we get a medical record stating that my child is healthy?" Mikoto enquired. She was curious as to whether Aoto would stick to his code of conduct for business even if things had turned out quite strange. But she was also certain that, given what he had done, Fugaku would not permit her to purchase any Palicos from him. The act of erasing memories cannot be done lightly at all. "Sure, that. I am a businessman that just considers financial gains, but I also have moral principles. An unhappy customer is the last thing I want to see and even for my products." Aoto assured. "Fine. I''ll see how Itachi is doing. It''s too early to check on Sasuke. Let me test whether your curse is effective." Fugaku spoke as he picked Itachi up by the shoulder. He needed to leave this store because he was not being held there. It was getting more dangerous by the second. 57. Lying is exhausting Aoto nearly passed out after the Uchiha family had left for a minute. Not because he was terrified of them or for some other reason, that was impossible because the system was always there to protect him. He was worn out from speaking so much and trying to avoid offending the Uchiha while still hinting that there was something wrong with Itachi. He had to weave a grand lie starting from Shusui and lead it to the Fugaku. He simply didn''t anticipate Fugaku''s harsh reaction. He took things personally and was a bit prone to rage when it came to his children. He wondered how the hell did Fugaku become so mature later. Shisui was far more collected than the present leader of Uchiha, although being much younger than Fugaku. Aoto disliked having to choose his words carefully in order to avoid upsetting the couple. Aoto would have had to resort to harsh measures if Mikoto hadn''t been there to soothe the furious horse. Even though he was very careful with his language and only mentioned both of their kids, they could still see that Aoto was referring specifically to Itachi. Sigh! A shinobi, especially a Uchiha, cannot be fooled by any amount of acting.
The Uchiha family returned to their home after almost storming out. Itachi awoke a short while later while resting on Fugaku''s shoulder on the way back. "Papa, when are we going to go to the summoning beast shop?" Itachi inquired innocently. Normally, their relationship was quite the strict one but today he was quite happy thinking his parents would gift him a beautiful cat. He had seen Shisui playing with his Palico and he couldn''t help but approach him. However, Itachi''s query simply caused Fugaku and Mikoto''s bodies to shake. Even the fact that he had been unconscious and that his memories had vanished went unnoticed by Itachi. They had always known the Itachi was quite the intelligent one but even his intelligence couldn''t save him from Aoto''s technique. "Itachi.. When we arrived, their store was shut. You were so worn out that you passed out." Mikoto lied. Itachi wrinkled his brows. Even though he had been working out hard, he had never before collapsed from tiredness. This was the first. "Itachi, we will go there again when the shop opens." Fugaku said as he made his way back. Itachi was a little perplexed but remained silent. Soon they returned home and told Itachi to take care of Sasuke while both of them had some clan matters to attend to. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Itachi fed his younger sibling and then took him to his room to put him to sleep. "What do you think?" -Mikoto. "What do I think? I want nothing but to beat up this guy." ¨C Fugaku. "Can''t you calm down for a second and think? Why are you so violent always?" ¡ª Mikoto. "He cursed our child. How can I just leave it like that?" ¨C Fugaku. "As much as I would like to think he cursed, I don''t think so. You only saw him eyeing Itachi, but I clearly noticed that when he saw Itachi there was only pity in his eyes. He actually had a single emotion in his eyes the entire time he was gazing at us. Pity with a bit of sadness." ¡ª Mikoto. Mikoto''s statement caused Fugaku to go silent. It was accurate. He was also aware of that. Aoto didn''t appear to be alarmed or afraid even when they both attacked him; instead, he appeared a little taken aback. He was never terrified of them, but this surprise truly felt as though he had just witnessed something novel. Recently the rumors had already spread of they being responsible of the Kyuubi attack. So if Aoto had hatred in his eyes, they would have noticed it, but there was none. Additionally, he had noticed Aoto''s sympathy and melancholy. Which was rather strange. "I will take Itachi to the best medical ninja we have at the hospital and do a full body scan." Fugaku spoke after a little pause. Mikoto nodded, confirming her own thought. "What do you think of the techniques he used?" Mikoto enquired. "I''m not sure.. My sharingan didn''t catch anything. He didn''t do any hand signs. The only thing I could make sense of was that the environment appeared to be supporting him. In my entire life, I have never seen such a technique." Fugaku spoke in a somber tone. He had seen a lot of things in his years as a shinobi, including his participation in the third great ninja war, but what Aoto did today was inexplicable. Moreover, the way their genjutsu rebounded was still a mystery. Aoto was able to instantly and effectively block both of their genjutsu with a single move. They were perplexed. "Do you think we should inform the Hokage of this?" Mikoto enquired. She didn''t have a strong animosity for the village at the time and still felt like she belonged in Konoha. "No. He''s said it already. He will be given a pedestal if we speak. I am just curious, if he is that good then why isn''t he revealing his expertise to the higher ups?" This question stumped Fugaku. Since Aoto was actively assisting Konoha, it was understood that once summoning animals were contracted, the partner could not betray them. While humans may use and discard their summoning monsters, this wasn''t true of the animals themselves. "Maybe like you, he also doesn''t like the higher ups." Mikoto muttered to herself. Fugaku tensed up. He hadn''t told his wife about the mounting resentment his clan was harboring for Konoha, but she was aware of it. "Anyways, tomorrow we will take Itachi. Its already late. We need to check up ourselves too. That young man''s genutsu was a tad excessive. I think my insides were a little hurt". ¨C Fugaku. "Hahaha.. so the day has come when the great Fugaku Uchiha will be taught a lesson in genjutsu." Mikoto grinned a little. "Hmph. It''s because I didn''t use my real powers. Additionally, you must have your eyes examined." 58. Bunch of one tailed foxes The next day without fail, the three people went to the hospital. When both of the couple were examined, only minor inside injuries and nothing more serious was found. The doctor was surprised seeing Fugaku a bit injured. "Did you take a S class mission or something?" Being a Uchiha himself, the doctor was aware of the clan leader''s great strength and the fact that very few shinobi in the world were capable of harming him. "Something like that." Fugaku didn''t go into further detail since he didn''t dare in front of other hospital patients and doctors. Both received a straightforward healing. Itachi was then sent for a thorough bodily checkup when this was finished. The medical ninja would have to slowly examine the body to see if there were any concealed issues, which would take a lot of time. Mikoto and Fugaku were both a little anxious as they awaited the results. After nearly 4 hours of waiting, the medical ninja emerged without a smile on his face. The couple knew from this alone that their kid Itachi wasn''t doing well. "You both are lucky that you came with your child. A couple of more years, and the illness might have been terminal. You son has a respiratory problem and probably will lead to cancer in later stages. However, now that we are aware of it, we can begin the process of curing your child of the fatal illness." The words of the medical ninja rocked the lives of the couple. Aoto''s assertions turned out to be true. Itachi was seriously ill, and the medical ninja''s statements implied that their son didn''t have long to live if the disease wasn''t eradicated. "What will happen if we don''t eradicate the disease soon?" "It''s difficult for me to say as a doctor. My initial observations indicate that the likelihood of the disease spreading is still quite low, but if your child has hypertension or anxiety, the likelihood increases and there are other factors that can cause the disease to flare up fast, like overexerting yoruself and bad pollution. However, I would suggest that you deal with the illness right away rather than waiting for it to get worse as you age." The physician said. "Doctor, I understand. Do everything it takes to eradicate the illness. We will be eternally thankful." Fugaku muttered while gritting his teeth. The doctor gave a head nod and then began to discuss how much time and medication his child could need. Only after a drawn-out process that takes two to three months will his son be completely safe. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Fugaku and Mikoto both took notes while listening to everything.
Aoto was having a good day when he opened the shop in the afternoon. He was in a good mood after several people arrived for Hot Pie''s bread and even some for the marijuana. Particularly after he observed two males entering the store. Two twin brothers. Hiashi and Hizashi. They had both come with their child in their arms. Hizashi followed Hiashi, and the two of them matched in appearance. Aoto might have confused the two of them if it weren''t for the Konoha band on Hizashi''s forehead. "Welcome. How can I help you?" Aoto posed the query while wearing a business suit. "We would like to thank you for the wonderful gifts that you have provided us." Hiashi stepped in. "Gifts? You mean the Palicos, I see. The cost of it has already been borne by you. There is no return policy." Aoto straight out spoke his terms. Those words caused Hiashi to become uneasy. He wasn''t prepared for the initial treatment to consist of harsh comments. He felt a little awkward but collected himself and said. "No.. Your product is perfectly alright. I came here since I was too busy at work the last time to come. You have provided such powerful summoning beasts and as a clan head I should have come to do the business personally. I really apologize for it." Hiashi said, attempting to make things less unpleasant. "Ahh.. No.. It''s okay. I''m a relatively new entrepreneur. Not everyone has the spare time to travel the world. As long as I can feed myself, everything is good." In the most modest voice conceivable, Aoto spoke. Hot Pie did nothing more than side-roll his eyes. This man claimed to be making enough money to feed his stomach while selling Palicos at such a high price. Who was he playing with? "Hahaha.. I''m delighted you didn''t harbor resentment toward it. How about I purchase 20 plaicos for the Hyuga clan as restitution?" Hiashi enquired. ''So this was the plan all along. Making an army. Isn''t he scared of the higher ups.'' Aoto pondered, but deep inside, he was ecstatic. He would make a significant profit by selling such a large quantity all at once. "Sure sir, but here are the two conditions that I have laid down if someone wants to buy Palicos." Aoto commented as he pulled out a document containing the guidelines for purchasing a Palico. Aoto had two requirements: first, he had to see the buyer''s face; second, if the buyer was a young shinobi, he had to have a medical examination to rule out the presence of any diseases; if the buyer was above 30, a medical examination was not necessary. Although Hiashi was aware of the first condition, the second one seemed extremely strange. Full body medical checkup. What was it about? But even so, it wasn''t a difficult task. He agreed to the terms and made a down payment of 5 Palicos. Aoto broke out in a big grin at this. He left after the transaction. As he passed through the exit he saw Fugaku waiting outside the shop. Although they were both taken aback to meet Uchiha''s clan chief, the brothers immediately grasped Fugaku''s purpose for being there. The Palicos! They both exchanged greetings and pretended that everything in Konoha was wonderful. ''What a bunch of slyfoxes.'' Aoto thought as he looked at the happy greetings from inside the shop. 59. Stop looking at me like that Following the brief greeting, Fugaku entered the store, and the twin brothers left for their house carrying their infants. "Brother, are the Uchiha''s also taking the same route as us?" When Hizashi saw Fugaku enter the store, he enquired. "Probably. We don''t need to interact with them much. Currently, their status is unstable." Hiashi didn''t want to discuss Uchiha in his speech. The largest clans in the town had virtually made it forbidden, and Uchiha''s had established itself as a shining example of how not to behave. Hizashi sighed and just followed his brother. He had some sympathy for the Uchiha. In the end, his and Uchiha''s circumstances were essentially the same. There was nothing they could do to stop the unjust oppression that they were both experiencing.
After entering the store and observing that there were no new customers there, Fugaku almost raced towards Aoto and prepared to attack him before stopping himself. He had remembered what had occurred the last time and was beaten down. If he wanted to fight this guy, it was probably by the use of Mangekyo Sharingan. There was no escape. He was currently genuinely unsure of himself. He intended to use the Susano to attack this young man, whom he believed to be the cause of his son''s illness. Because he believed he had cursed him. The people of Konoha could be superstitious at times. Aoto saw the violent reaction from Fugaku after entering the shop and also saw the struggle in his eyes. He was able to discern what was going on in his thoughts with ease. "Fugaku-san, even if you use the Mangekyo Sharingan, it would be useless against me." To break the awkward quiet between the two, Aoto abruptly spoke. To ensure that sound didn''t enter the business too easily, Aoto had also erected effective soundproofing and sturdy walls. Fugaku''s eyes widened as he stated that his typically black eyes had instantly changed to full tomoe-sharingan 3. Fugaku, who had been holding back anything he might later regret, instead grabbed Aoto by the collar of his jacket and pulled him away from the counter. "Speak. Or I wouldn''t care even if you belong to the Hokage. I will employ all resources possible to bring you down. Speak, how do you know of Mangekyo Sharingan?" Fugaku enquired in a stern voice that was quite hoarse. He was both worried and furious. Only his wife in the clan was aware of the Mangekyo Sharingan, and he had completely concealed the ability from everyone else. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He couldn''t figure out how his secret had been revealed. Did Hokage let him know? But why would he act in that way? He would not have sent a youngster to carry out his orders if he had known it; instead, he would have confronted him in front of his peers and superiors. What was the angle here? "I know a lot more than you. And trying to pull me down will only make your problems bigger. You are already surrounded and Konoha just needs another reason to launch an attack against you." As he spoke, Aoto gave Fugaku a direct look in the eyes. He abruptly and covertly revealed certain information to him for a cause. He didn''t want the clan to vanish one day. If possible he would do everything to protect the clan. Additionally, because he was helpless and unable to defend himself when he was outside, he needed a protective umbrella. Something that would only serve as a bodyguard and not pry into his professional life. He had the option of accepting Konoha''s protection from Hiruzen, but doing so would have required Anbu, or, to put it another way, Danzo''s filthy eyes. Even though he was certain they wouldn''t learn his secrets, he was under no circumstances going to permit it. Fugaku, who was quivering with rage, punched him without thinking it through. But that punch wasn''t just any punch; Fugaku''s hand appeared to be covered by a hand that was clearly orange in hue. The orange colored hand was large. The punch stopped just before hitting the face of Aoto and in the next moment, Fugaku was flicked off from his place. He nearly took off before colliding with the shop''s invisible wall. When Fugaku was sent back, the system was so well-organized and proper that nothing was damaged and everything remained in place. "Susano in orange color. It''s a nice color." Aoto remarked while musing on how lovely the entire susano would be. He is eager to find out. Fugaku didn''t get hit that strongly and he was flicked from the ground. He was alright. Fugaku who was on his ass lying on the ground looked at Aoto in horror. This youngster was immune to harm from even the susano. What was he? Some kind of god? He didn''t even see him using chakra or anything of that sort. His mangekyo sharingan immediately began to function. Fugaku''s mangekyo sharingan gave him the power to see into the future. Not one future, but different future as a result of his actions. This was a broken ability as it basically meant that he could take the most perfect action and deal the damage. So, using that power, he peered into the future. He became more terrified as he saw more. There was no future where he defeated this kid. Even if he used full susano he wasn''t able to defeat him. What was wrong with the world? He looked at Aoto in horror. "You should stop using the sharingan. You will lose more eyesight, the more you use it." Added Aoto. Fugaku gulped as he looked at Aoto. This guy even knew of the dangers of Mangekyo Sharingan? Now he had severe doubts. Was he some forgotten Uchiha child who had been born during the time of war and had been unaware of it? But the clan registration does not have any such information. 60. Anger management issues Fugaku slowly got up and switched to his normal eyes. Blood would undoubtedly spill from the side of his eyes if he applied more power. He made every attempt to eavesdrop on the future but was unsuccessful in all cases. He had to take a deep breath, talk it out, and deal with it. He had to make an effort to prevent Aoto from sharing the mangekyo sharingan with anybody else if Aoto was the only one who knew about it. Additionally, he was interested in how Aoto learned of his secret. "Fugaku-san, you have anger issues. You should speak with an anger-management therapist, in my opinion." Added Aoto. Involuntarily, Fugaku questioned. "There is an anger management one?" Because he had forgotten that this culture wasn''t as developed as his previous one, Aoto tensed up. Once more, there was a brief awkward pause before Fugaku asked. "How did you learn about my Mangekyo Sharingan, exactly? I have no idea how you are so strong, but if I can''t defeat you physically, I''ll destroy your company. Don''t you love it? I''ll use whatever means at my disposal to take care of the Palicos you sold to others." Fugaku made another threat. He wasn''t prepared to give up yet. "Fugaku-san. If you want to threaten someone, don''t speak about it. Do it. Don''t allow your rage influence your decisions. Honestly speaking, I am now regretting speaking about your secret. You are not at all intelligent. How did you even become the clan leader with such severe anger management problems?" Added Aoto. His remarks greatly and deeply embarrassed Fugaku. Aoto just schooled Fugaku on leading. He wasn''t actually angry; rather, he was nervous. And the reason he threatened Aoto was because he thought Aoto didn''t have much societal experience and if he threatened the kid, Aoto might just spill some beans. But despite how he appeared, this man had experience! Fugaku calmed himself by inhaling deeply. He was back in his usual nature. He would have to treat Aoto similarly to how he would treat a peer. There was no alternate path. "You win. Now can you tell me how you know of my secret? And about Itachi? What have you done to him?" "I don''t have anything to do with Itachi. For me, losing a person means losing another potential client. Why? What did the doctors find out?" Aoto had a genuine interest. He only asked that they check on Itachi. The narrative always claimed that he had some kind of terminal illness that he had caught at an early age and battled his way through. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "They found very early symptoms of cancer and are working to get rid of it." said Fugaku. Aoto groaned. It meant that Itachi would be able to live longer now. If he wished for it, at least. "That''s great. I''m glad you followed my counsel." Aoto said, quite a bit proud that he had helped detecting a very hidden disease. "Tell me how you learned about my mangekyo sharingan now. Better still, how did you ever learn about its existence?" Fugaku enquired. "Fugaku-san, that is not important. You only need to be aware that I am the only one who is aware of the secret. You don''t need to worry about the rest." Added Aoto. "How can I trust you?" Fugaku enquired. Even though he was curious about what this gentleman knew about the mangekyo, he had to wait to reveal the truth. "If I had told others, Hokage and Danzo would have already been in your house already. Especially that one eye piece of shit." Added Aoto. "One eyed?" After Fugaku missed him, he realized that he was making a reference to Danzo''s one eye. Calling him piece of shit did bring a small satisfaction in his heart. He really was an asshole. "Did the Hokage not tell you about the mangekyo sharingan?" Simply shaking his head in negation, Aoto. Fugaku somehow believed what Aoto was saying. Hiruzen truly had no method of finding out about his sharingan. Everyone who had witnessed him employing this skill was taken care of. "He told me this little-known fact for what reason? I don''t think its just simple as selling palicos and some chicken." "Now you''re getting to the point. Let''s just say that I am interested in your clan and can''t just a clan being unjustly oppressed. I am a businessman and if one section of the society gets less benefit, it would mean less customers for me. I want everyone to prosper." Added Aoto. He wouldn''t reveal his cards, of course. He would never, ever claim that being exposed outside made him vulnerable. It would only encourage Fugaku''s heinous retaliation. Fugaku shook his head, but he was aware that Aoto wasn''t yet prepared to speak. He was too shrewd. He held the delectable fish out in front of him, but he made sure he could never catch it. "What do you want?" Fugaku enquired. Since he was a businessman and had been adamant on that theme it was better to speak in his own language. Aoto grinned as he heard this. "Buy my products. That''s it. We can even work together for a long time; I''ll soon start selling goods that can even startle you more." Added Aoto. "More shocking than the Palicos?" you ask. Fugaku questioned with raised eyebrows. "Maybe." Aoto grinned broadly. Fugaku ceased talking. Knowing he couldn''t get any more information from Aoto, he decided it would be best to go. He had been here for a while, and if he stayed for a longer time, someone might start to wonder. "I will buy the Palicos from you later. I don''t have any money with me right now." said Fugaku. As proof that he fully understood, Aoto nodded. Fugaku then walked toward the door. When Aoto mentioned, it was already there. "Fugaku-san. Another piece of advice. Don''t believe everything that you read. They say that only the strongest people write the histories. That''s wrong. I say the person who survives the longest can write the history." 61. First roadblock Fugaku came to a halt and whirled around to face Aoto. Wide-eyed, he stared at Aoto, trying to understand what he meant, but by then, Aoto had walked away and gone to the storage room at the back. "What did he mean by that?" Fugaku pondered. He considered asking but decided against it. Already he was in the uncharted waters. His biggest secret had been revealed, which no one knew how. This was not reassuring. Additionally, despite utilizing Susano, he was still unable to oust this child. He had not anticipated this. His ego, his secrets, his abilities were all now in shambles. And now, Aoto''s final remarks alluded to something entirely else. What did he mean when he said not to believe what you read. Did he suggest that the Uchiha shrine, which had been passed down through the centuries, was false? If he yes how did he know of its existence ? Or did he imply that the historical information they had learned from books was false? He needed to investigate. Aoto sighed in the rear room after Fugaku went with so many things on his mind. He had to show his hand to this dangerous man in order to get close to him. He hoped that Fugaku would try to bridge the gap between them and Aoto, and later Aoto could capitalize on that and maybe save Uchiha from self explosion. He had taken a chance. A huge one which might just affect his future.
A few more days had passed, and all the businesses were operating without any problems. Aoto had finally made the decision to deliver this book to the Konoha Hospital and see whether it would be accepted, therefore this was a significant day for him. He had copied around 80% of the book he had obtained through the system. And whenever required he had made some edits like he had to delete the names of the people that had termed some parts of the body and add his own name into it. There was no one to sue him for this obvious violation of copyright. After burning the night oil for multiple days, it was finally ready. Soon he reached the Hospital and knocked on the main supervisor of the Hospital. "Come on in." As he entered, Aoto said, "Hello." "Ah Aoto.. I had been expecting your visit, Hokage had informed us about your new work. I have gotta say. Your Mad Honey works wonders." The supervisor said. As he stated that, Aoto flushed. Simply put, it was flattery. His Mad Honey wasn''t all that great and mostly just got people high. It could only be regulated in little dosages. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Supervisor, you flatter me too much. The issues with the honey outnumber the remedies." Added Aoto. The Supervisor laughed aloud at this. Aoto stopped talking and handed him a large ass book. The Supervisor wasn''t prepared for Aoto to have written so much during the preceding few days. "Aoto, it would take me some time to read the entire book. To check everything, it will take some time." stated the Supervisor. "Of course... Of course. This is a discussion about human lives. One can''t treat it carelessly." Added Aoto. "Thank you. I will look into the book with other doctors and medical ninjas and give you an appropriate answer in a week." stated the Supervisor. "Surely. I will be actively waiting for the good news." Added Aoto. He then walked out of the hospital. The wait didn''t bother Aoto, and he was already eager to start selling the first batch of books. After finishing the stack of books, he made the decision to get Viagra. Before selling that, he simply needed to have the right image. Though he might get some dirty looks from the higher echelons of medical group but he needed to complete his work for the sake of upgrade. Aoto then proceeded to carry on his work. The book submission had passed 2 weeks and Aoto was finally getting a little impatient when there was no reply. It had been more than a week and Aoto finally couldn''t hold himself and went straight to the Hospital to see if there was any problem. When Aoto arrived at the Konoha Hospital, it was almost dusk. There was no one to stop him because he was granted free rein to enter and exit the hospital. He again rapped on the door of the Supervisor''s office. "Come in.." "Hello.." As he entered, Aoto maintained his customary smile but noticed that the Supervisor was not being his typically upbeat, jocular self as he has been in the past. When Aoto entered the room, he exhibited neither joy nor a smile. Aoto recognized there was a problem right away. "Ah Aoto.. Come come.. Sit." The supervisor stated while making a valiant effort to grin, but his demeanor said otherwise. "I apologize, Supervisor. I simply had to come and check on the status of the books check since I was unable to restrain myself. As you can see, the book makes no mention of any medications or other items. I just wrote it after doing in-depth research on human body so I just want to know if there are any problems in the book." "Hahaha.. why are you in such a hurry.. Do you want some tea to drink?" The boss inquired while attempting to diversion. "Tea would be fine. But I would like to know the answer Supervisor." This time, Aoto added and without cracking a smile. "Well.. You see, the books are in perfect condition, and you have produced a work of art. It''s really thorough. We are really grateful for your efforts and research. But.." With a subdued voice, the Supervisor spoke. "But?" Aoto asked. "However, you cannot sell the books to the general public. I remember you once said that you want to sell the books. We cannot permit that." The supervisor said. Aoto was startled. This was strange. It was originally his books. So why did an issue arise now? "Was that the order of the Hokage?" Aoto questioned why there wasn''t a green light as he was certain that the Hokage was aware of the preparations. The supervisor made no comment at all in response. 62. Run for your life The Supervisor simply shook his head while remaining mute. Aoto struggled to comprehend why he wasn''t allowed to sell some books. It shouldn''t have ever resulted in an issue of any type. "Why am I not being allowed to sell the books?" A little irate, Aoto questioned now. "Aoto, I understand that you are upset, but this wasn''t our decision." stated the Supervisor. "Then whose decision was it?" Aoto questioned, removing all signs of deference from his tone and demeanor. The Supervisor fell silent once more. His utter stillness startled Aoto. It meant that whoever had refused to give him the access to sell the book was powerful and couldn''t be named. Only one person in Konoha possessed that level of power. Danzo Shimura. I comprehend. I''ll go now. Aoto said as he left. "Aoto, if you want you can take your book back." The supervisor said that while appearing to feel bad. Aoto made a U-turn and said. "That is the reward I shall give you in exchange. You are seriously mistaken if you believe that book has all of my expertise. But you have already chosen sides, and now you will be sleep on it. From here on out, you won''t listen from me." As he slammed the door behind him, Aoto spoke. The words caught the Supervisor off guard. Aoto''s statements gave the impression that he knew who was against him and even had more information than he had been letting on. A few days earlier, two Anbu visited him at home and gave him a message informing him that the public could never purchase any of Aoto''s books. He knew from whom the note came and he was in no position to defend himself from a shark like Danzo. He had to pick a side if he wanted to live a peaceful life. However, as a Supervisor who had held his job for a while, seeing Aoto''s haughtiness really infuriated him. How dare this small kid who only wrote one book think himself as infallible. "Hmph. It makes sense why Danzo refused to let the youngster sell books. He considers himself to be some sort of God just by producing a book!?" The manager muttered beneath his breath. Aoto walked returned to his shop after leaving the hospital. He didn''t run, nor he took fast steps. If he was being watched, no amount of running would allow him to get away as he was not a ninja. It was fortunate that it was still early evening and that he only traveled through areas with dense populations. In all honesty, he was terrified. He didn''t want to be taken away by the roots and made to work for Danzo. He made an error. The weed or the mad honey wasn''t the part that caught his attention. His book on human body was what had caught his attention. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He had forgotten that this man was actively attempting to do tests on human beings using Hashirama cells, and that he had more motivation to pursue his book than some accessible, cheap narcotics that could be used to get high. "System, can I access some sort of defense from outside the store?" [ Negative, host. ] "So what are you expecting me to do? Is there anyone following me?" Asked Aoto. [ That type of function is not present in the system. ] "Then give me some kind of temporary boost. I can''t live in this world and also do business . This world is far too dangerous." [ Everything is subject to the host. After the shop has been upgraded, the host may be able to learn some self defense skills if business is successful. ] "Self defense? Enough to rival ninjas?" As soon as the system provided a clear response, Aoto became ecstatic. [ It will rely on the host''s performance on his assignment and the potential amount of extra credit he could receive. ] "Extra points? You imply that the KFC and French fries I sold have earned me extra credit?" [ Yes, host. ] "How many credits do I currently have?" [ Extra points: 2/100 ] "100? That 100, what does that mean? [ The host will receive a full defense system that is at least on par with the shinobi system or perhaps better if they can earn all 100 credits. ] "What? Do you mean to suggest that I shall become like God here if I earn 100 credits? [ Host, you are mistaken. The 100 credits will only give you a full system but at the end the host himself will have to explore and climb the stairs. In fact, even with low credits you can get a high level self defense and attack system. But not all of the information will be made available to the host. ] "So it''s still a lottery in the end? Even if I complete the 100 credits for the next upgrade?" [ Yes, host. However, the host is dreaming excessively. The host only received one credit after opening the KFC, and the other credit was handed to the host for free. In order to complete the full 100 the host will need to sell too many things out by himself. ] Aoto gritted his teeth and clenched his fists at the system for not informing him of this earlier. Only in the time of dire need, did this stupid system open his mouth. Fuck! He had hope, though, because he could defend himself. He needed to make KFC a much bigger restaurant chain. Of course, all hung on the fact that he could reach his shop right now. Thankfully, he succeeded in doing so after a 10-minute walk. He exhaled with great relief as soon as he entered the protection field. He walked in and immediately felt as though his legs had become noodles. He genuinely believed that he would be abducted. He returned to his business where he observed Hot Pie selling the bread to the customers when they entered after some time spent standing around in a stupor. There were several patrons in the side restaurant that was lit up in dazzling red and white lights. 63. Anbu He was confident that if they stayed inside the circle, nothing bad would happen to them, and thankfully it didn''t. As soon as he entered the bakery, he tried to act normally and didn''t get in the way of anything. "System, now that I am inside the shop, at least tell me if there any spies?" [ Host, nobody is present in the safe area. But there is someone that is keeping an eye on you 20 metres away from the safe zone in the north west direction. ] This made Aoto tense up. When he returned back to his place he thought that his over cautiousness was over the top and he didn''t need to be so scared as this was Konoha and nothing would happen to him, but he had overestimated himself. He definitely needed to finish his first assignment with the system so as not face this kind of situations again. "Do I know him?" [ The individual is not within the host''s safety perimeter. Only because he has bad intentions toward the host is he detectable by the system. ] The system had a weird way to measure emotions of a person and this was probably the reason why the system was always equipped to save him, even at times when there was a sneak attack. Because, at the end of the day, if one wished to attack, emotions were to blame. They wouldn''t be able to hide it from the system. It was something when Naruto was able to do when he first got his hands on the chakra of Kurama. He was able to distinguish between good and harmful motives. Only in this instance was his system able to perform significantly better. Aoto kept all these thoughts in the back of his mind and carried on with his work. He started to close all the stores when it became late in the evening. After closing, he called all of his friends back from work to his home. "Is everything going well?" John questioned after noticing that Aoto seemed a little more fidgety than usual. They had been sharing a home for a while, and he could practically tell if Aoto was experiencing any problems. Plus, he called everyone from work directly. They always gathered for dinner, but tonight was different. So, other people were also curious. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Everything is fine in a way. Simply refrain from leaving for the upcoming days." Added Aoto. "Don''t go out!? You mean I can''t go to school to sell the chicken?" Jon enquired. "I can''t go out for normal walks?" Arya questioned, looking heartbroken. Since Hot Pie hardly ever left the house, he didn''t mind. "I''m sorry, but you are not safe until everything is resolved." Added Aoto. Arya and John furrowed their brows, and Hot Pie quavered a little. The threat outside was indicated by Aoto''s statements. They had previously heard that the shop was always the safest place to go and that it was guarded. "How do you wish to get food if we don''t go outside?" "There is Kiriko''s grocery that also comes under protection. You can purchase from them, and you can ask Ayame to bring other goods. For her work, give her more money. Stay inside the circle of protection until I tell you to leave." Added Aoto. The three got silent and felt suffocated by the words of Aoto. They felt worthless. Years of training had yielded no results. John clenched his hands and muttered, "Understood." Aoto simply asked them to continue working without offering any other explanation. He went as well and assisted John in cleaning the restaurant. He occasionally used to assist them because it was a laborious and tedious task. But while working, his mind was alert. At every moment he felt like the system was going to alert him but there was nothing. The roots were supposed to knock on his door, but they never did. But he was aware that he had been being watched. And two more days of this nonsense passed. The roots were keeping an eye out for him. Even though they stayed away, Aoto''s business suffered. Ayame was going out to bring the chicken but there was only much she could do. People started to wonder why KFC didn''t open a cart shop close to the school or why business at the restaurant had declined. John could only lie and say that he had been sick and couldn''t go and buy the pieces themselves and that Ayame had been helping him. Customers naturally mentioned that they could assign a mission, and any shinobi could then assist, but John insisted that this was only a temporary solution. It was only on the third day that there was movement finally. The roots seemed like they ran out of patience and on the night of third day Aoto heard a statement from the system. [ Host, two anbu members have entered the premises and will be knocking on the window in 3...2....1.. ] *knock* *knock* When he heard the notifications, Aoto, who had been on pins and needles, sighed. Aoto got up and opened the window to see two men in standard Anbu outfits carrying small chokut¨­ behind their back and also wearing Anbu masks on their faces. Everyone was startled by the knock, but Aoto urged them to remain calm so he could manage them. One of the Anbu wearing a Ram Anbu mask said. "Aoto Yamazaki, follow us to our headquarters." This wasn''t a statement. It was a command. The other one who was wearing a Hound Anbu mask just stood there. "Where are you from? I don''t recall Hokage telling me that an Anbu was going to knock on my door." Added Aoto. "Less questions. Just follow us." - The Ram mask. "Why are you even bothering to speak with this kid. Just take him to the headquarters." - The Hound mask. Aoto blinked after hearing that. He stated while maintaining a dead-on gaze at the Anbu masks'' faces. "So you are going to kidnap me anyways?" 64. So much blood, so little time The one with the Hound Mask didn''t speak any more and from the window sill itself forwarded his hands to catch Aoto by his collar and take him away. It was here everything went loose. A terrible scene then played out when the hand that was about to grasp the collar abruptly stopped. At first with bone-crushing impact, each finger buckled under the overwhelming pressure, splintering and shattering like fragile porcelain. The flesh, once supple and resilient, contorted and deformed, unable to withstand the merciless assault. Ligaments tore, tendons snapped, and veins burst as the hand was reduced to a mangled mess. It disintegrated like sand slipping through desperate fingers, dissipating into a whirlwind of crimson fragments. The window panes, Aoto''s face, his clothes, and both of the Anbus were covered with blood, among other things. The person wearing the Hound mask screamed aloud in agony. The one in the Ram mask quivered for a second before jumping back and falling on the rooftop of the neighboring house. The one in the Hound mask had already fallen into his knees as he held on to his shoulder. He was bleeding profusely. The Ram mask Anbu said while gritting through his teeth. "Aoto Yamazaki, do you know what you have done. You have just hurt Anbu and it''s a capital offence. You have hurt Konoha. Konoha will never let you go. You will be hunted down..." Even if he didn''t speak all of those phrases aloud, Aoto could still hear them. "Shut your trap.. Go while you are still alive. Go back to the headquarters and tell Danzo to show his face here. If he doesn''t I will personally bring this piece of shit to Hokage right now. He just lost his hands now, later he might lose his life. Now fuck off if you want to live." As he gave his own response, Aoto yelled. This made the ram mask Anbu shudder in fear. He was still unsure of what had actually happened when the attack began. Because he was a sensory ninja, he was able to determine that no one was close and that whatever had transpired could not have been the result of simple chakra manipulation. His hands were destroyed in a split second without him even noticing any movement of chakra. This was the most odd thing that had happened which forced him to take few steps back. He needed to understand the situation and then counter attack but everything collapsed when Aoto spoke of the name of the superior. This let him realize that Aoto knew more than he ought to have known. Everyone knew the name of the Hokage, as well as the names of his advisers, but Danzo''s name had vanished and few people remembered him. Even in the books of 2nd and 3rd Great Ninja war, there were hardly any mentions of him. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. But Aoto knew that they were being sent by Danzo. He needed to return back alive and report the situation. He jumped away right away, disappearing into the pitch-blackness of the moonless night. He didn''t even care of the Hound mask anbu that was lying in the floor unconscious. "System, don''t let him die. Stop his bleeding." [ As you wish, host. ] Though Aoto had seen blood before but it was only in few drops when he retaliated against Fugaku and Mikoto. When he requested assistance from the system to help him defend himself, he wasn''t really being unkind. But in this instance, he let the system take the lead and let it operate as it saw fit. And it didn''t let him down, but he was still a little shaken by all the blood. Never before had he experienced such a range of emotions. He wasn''t done, though. He closed the window as he exited through it. Then he pushed the unconscious ninja to the side and carefully carried him to the house''s terrace while holding the body of the ninja on his shoulder. John actually wanted to come out and help and even took his beloved sword in his hand, but Aoto stopped him. He now had to wait to see if Danzo would arrive. He allowed the other man go in order to draw Danzo in. He had to take care of the issue right here and right now. He was only hoping that the one-eyed man would be duped! The shinobi had already stopped bleeding and his heartbeat had started to stabilize a little, but if he kept acting in this manner, he wouldn''t survive for very long. He need medical care. Aoto waited in this chilling darkness. The rustling leaves whispered tales of tranquility, swaying gently as if in harmony with the slumbering inhabitants. The occasional flicker of a street lamp illuminated empty paths, casting a warm glow that danced upon the cobblestones. Aoto waited for quite a lot of time before he heard a notification from his system. [ Malicious intent has been detected. 4 high speed poison laced kunai is approaching host. Taking counteractive measures ] The notification was read by the system in extreme fast speed and Aoto couldn''t even register what the system spoke. All he heard were clinging sounds near his body and 4 purple colored kunai laying down on the ground. Of course Aoto understood what just happened. He was being ambushed. [ Three individuals have breached the security barrier. Shikuro Aburame Fuu Yamanaka Danzo Shimura ] A smile spread across Aoto''s initially stunned face. "System, do I have the permission to stop them from escaping?" [ Only the people with would make the first move could be stopped from escaping. Among the three people only Torune Aburame meets the criteria. The other two are free to exit the circle whenever they like. ] "Oh so I need them to make the first move. Hmm." Aoto pondered. While thinking he finally got a clear view of the three men under the shimmering night sky, a small group of men gathered, their silhouettes framed against the backdrop of the street lights from a considerable distance. "Aoto..." A clear sound of a staff striking the ground was heard as a deep voice and a commanding voice spoke. 65. I dont want to be like Orochimaru "Danzo Shimura. I wasn''t anticipating you to actually arrive. I had the impression that the Anbu were not supposed to feel anything." Added Aoto. He didn''t even let Danzo finish his words and spoke over him. All of the other three people on the patio tensed up as a result. Danzo was tongue tied when Aoto spoke so boldly about his roots. "Kid, this is not your place.." "Kid this, kid that.. Have I not just cleaned the floor with one of your prized Anbu? Do you wish to follow in his footsteps?" Aoto pointed to the unconscious body lying on the side and stated. This greatly enraged Fuu. "Why are you raising a fuss if your superior hasn''t spoken yet?" Aoto reprimanded Fuu without holding back on his criticism. The two Anbu belonged to Danzo''s personal guard and were both elite jonins. Fuu was a little excited and happy about it. This was his first mission with Danzo and he wanted to show their expertise. They had already heard about what had gone down and honestly they didn''t believe the shinobi that had come back with tails behind his legs, but seeing his 4 kunai get stopped made Shikuro a little more serious. He and Fuu had previously conducted some missions for the roots, but they had never witnessed a person successfully repel kunai without even flinching or evading. They were very certain they weren''t engaged in any form of genjutsu and that there was no jutsu involved. Here Shikuro was the old recruit and Fuu had come up through the ranks of Roots. Fuu lifted his hands and made his classic Yamanaka move of mind transfer jutsu. "Wait, Fuu!" Although Shikuro yelled, it was already too late. He had began the body transfer procedure. Danzo didn''t actually stop Fuu; instead, he remained silent and observed the scene. [ Evil intent has been discovered. putting up defenses. ] The next instant, Fuu, who was actively attempting to take control of Aoto''s body, felt his breathing becoming labored. He was unable to breathe and felt as though someone was tightly clutching his neck. He felt around his neck to see if there were any hands holding him, but there weren''t any. "Wha..a..t.. i..s.. t..h..is.." Although it was becoming more difficult with each passing second, Fuu called out in between breaths. Shikuro rushed to his companion to check what the issue was, but as he had already used the chakra infusion technique, he was unable to identify any genjutsu that might have been effecting him. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Shikuro became extremely anxious as a result and turned to gaze towards Danzo in an effort to get some guidance. He was certain that Fuu would pass away if this kept happening. Fuu appeared to be in great pain since he had collapsed to his knees and was gripping his neck. "Aoto, would you kindly free him?" Danzo at last spoke once more. He said that without showing any emotion. Instead of caring about Fuu, it almost seemed as though he felt sorry for him if he were to pass away. Aoto looked at Danzo for a few seconds and then asked the system to release him from the pain and suffering. In the next instant, the air returned to the lungs of Fuu as he started taking deep and loud breaths. He slowly got up. "I.. I am sorry.. Danzo-sama." Fuu replied as he bowed his head in Danzo''s direction. "Don''t mention it." Danzo responded as he strainedly peered at Aoto. "Don''t call me Aoto directly. I am not all buddy buddy with you." Aoto spoke up front. "I apologize for the miscommunication between us. Can we begin again? I sincerely want to be your friend." Danzo spoke in a tranquil and collected manner. "Oh! Do you want to be pals? Your subordinate tried to ambush me, and the other person even went so far as to do the mind transfer jutsu, so it is rather brazen of you to ask. Why should we become friends, then? You just stopped my business venture and you expect me to just forget that?" Added Aoto. "The works you''ve authored are too significant to be displayed to the general audience. Konoha will lose its medical dominance over neighboring villages as a result of the books leaking. I can''t let that take place. I am sure you understand that, with someone of your intelligence." "Oh! Really? That''s a really strong argument. Hmm..." Aoto spoke while tucking his fingers under his chin to appear thoughtful. "Aoto, stop wasting your time in this shop; you are too talented. You should join my roots so that you can receive all the benefits and many more." For the first time, Danzo spoke with kindness in his voice as he said. He seemed sincere in his desire for Aoto to join the roots. "I have to admit, that''s a nice idea. The problem is that I don''t want to act as a test subject and end up like Orochimaru, who was abandoned just because he was being exposed. You are lucky that he didn''t expose you before he left Konoha, or else you would have lost precious status. But then again, you are his only connection to Konoha, using each other." With a smile on his face, Aoto said. Danzo''s face twisted more and more as Aoto continued to speak. His calm half covered faced finally turned menacing as he looked at Aoto. He never expected Aoto to say some of his secrets out loud. His relationship with Orochimaru was a well guarded secret. Aoto knowing this meant like he was in huge danger. He was aware of Hiruzen''s intense animosity against his notorious pupil and knew that if he found out about their present relationship, he would not only lose the roots but also maybe have his life brought into order. "Aoto Yamazaki, who are you really?" Danzo said as he let go of his clutch that he had been carrying. He didn''t know how Aoto was able to stop the kunais before nor how he was able to make Fuu lose his breathe, but didn''t matter. He needed to take down Aoto hard and fast. 66. Eyes be juggling in Konoha "F¨±ton: Shink¨±dama" (Wind release : Vacuum bullets) Danzo inhaled deeply before blowing in Aoto''s direction. Like before, the powerful vacuum bullets appeared to stop only inches before touching Aoto''s body. Aoto was able to deflect without even moving a hand or evading, which left Danzo a little alarmed. What the hell was this? No. He had seen this before. That guy in the Hidden Rain village but he was only able to deflect the kunai and attacks, and he could tell that there was use of chakra. How could this youngster counter without chakra? But the attack gave Shikuro and Fuu time to think. "Fuu, he is immune to ninjutsu. We need to try taijutsu." "Yes." Running with their swords drawn, Fuu and Shikuro approached Aoto. They coordinated their running as they both decided to attack Aoto from two distinct angles. The other targeted the abdomen while the first targeted the throat. Shikuro, who had already attempted to sever Aoto''s throat, naturally made sure that he didn''t go for the kill. They were unable to make the kill. Because their supervisor Danzo would have serious problems if they assassinated Aoto. Danzo, meanwhile, wasn''t acting ineffectively at all. He headed toward Aoto after pulling out his kunai and applying his vacuum style chakra on it. Aoto was about to receive a chest stab from him. Aoto received all three of the attacks at once, but he didn''t move because he wasn''t required to. Aoto was the target of every attack, but there was no blood. The assault left no marks, not even a scratch! As he noticed this, Aoto grinned. He had asked the system to let him have some fun. The three of them were perplexed but didn''t hesitate to retreat in anticipation of Aoto taking action in revenge. There was none, though. Aoto simply permitted them to retreat as if nothing had happened. "How the hell is able to stop all of our attacks?" "This is not possible." Danzo was suddenly looking solemn. Such a predicament had never occurred to him before. While they were about to strike, he had already attempted to use genjutsu, but Aoto was able to escape immediately. Both ninjutsu and taijutsu appeared to have no effect on him. What the hell was this guy? "You''ve been having fun for a while; now it''s my turn." These made the three stiffer. The sensory ninja of the group, Fuu, was keeping an eye out for any sneak attacks that might be coming. They had to observe Aoto''s chakra usage. They could only devise a quick counterattack in this fashion. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Unfortunately for him, there was no chakra flow. The floor around them suddenly appeared to come to life, as ropes began to emerge at an incredibly rapid pace. The three of them were horrified to see the moving floors and decided to flee, but they didn''t realize how quickly the concrete ropes that had just emerged to capture them would catch them. The ropes swiftly wrapped around their limbs, immobilizing them and preventing any immediate escape. These concrete ropes were made of concrete and thus they were incredibly sturdy, making it impossible for the shinobis to break free through sheer strength alone or for any ninjutsu for that matter. Danzo and Shikuro tried using vacuum style to get rid of the ropes as their ninjutsus were of very sharp nature, but to no avail. To make matters worse, the trap was not limited to a single wave of concrete ropes. As soon as the initial ropes secured their targets, additional ropes began emerging from various directions, crisscrossing the captives and forming an intricate web of solid concrete. The three were now kneeling and bound on the ground. They were attempting to move to try and escape the predicament, but the more they moved, the more immovable they became. "Aoto.. You are attacking one of Konoha''s top advisors. I advise you to leave. Otherwise, you''ll have even worse problems than you do now." For the first time, Danzo directly threatened him with his remarks. "Oh, good to know that someone now recognizes his situation. When you put a stop to my books, where was that conscience?" Aoto smiled and enquired. "I''ve told you before. We cannot allow other villages get a whiff of your medical books. We can''t let our village''s advantage in medical ninjutsu slip away now that it has existed since the first Hokage." "You''re correct. We cannot. But in order to accomplish your objectives, you chose to abduct, threaten, and even nearly kill me. Seems like your parents has never taught you a lesson that you can''t get forcefully get what you don''t have. There is a proper order." Added Aoto. In response to Aoto''s remarks, Danzo grinned and stated. "The strong doesn''t need permission to take away from the weak." Danzo had cause for his warnings. "You''re correct. They don''t. So let me take something from you." Thanks to Shikuro''s initial attack, Aoto muttered as he picked up a kunai that was lying on the ground before losing to Danzo. "What... What... are you doing?" Danzo questioned, unable to accept the predicament he was in. He was aggressively making every effort to escape Aoto as he was being restrained. He wanted to get away right away and then plan a means to get even, but he was unable to do so. He felt powerless. Since the moment the 2nd Hokage declared that Hiruzen would succeed him as Hokage, he had never felt this helpless. He wanted to strike back but was unable to. Here, it was the same. Aoto didn''t care about his thoughts nor his struggle. Inside the system space, he was the God. He pointed the kunai straight at his eye that was under the coper of white clean cloth wrapped around his head. Danzo''s other eye became wide as he saw what Aoto was going to do. He stabbed on the inner side of the eye socket from over the cloth and procced to scoop put the eye. Aoto just took out the eye of Danzo where he could only git his teeth and watch. Soon the white cloth was red with blood and even then Danzo just shut his mouth and didn''t scream for a second due to pain. 67. Leave the clan Aoto had the eyeball in his hand, and his palm was covered in blood. Although it appeared to be an ordinary eyeball, he knew it wasn''t. Aoto was also aggressively preventing himself from throwing up after seeing all the blood and gore around. The blood around was already riveting but the eyeball took the trophy for sure. His expression was as rigid as always, but he was undoubtedly having a hard time dealing with the situations. Danzo and the other two were simply envious of Aoto. "Aoto Yamazaki. You have no idea of what you have done." Danzo gritted his teeth and said. "Why? Still working with the Izanagi jutsu?" Asked Aoto. This made Danzo look at Aoto like he was watching some kind of monster. Aoto had always known that the covered eye was a Sharingan eyeball. To be sure the eyeball he was removing wasn''t merely a dud, he had also run it through the system. Of course it was not Shisui''s as that hadn''t happened yet. Maybe he got it during the 3rd great ninja war or due to his secret assassination on an Uchiha. Genjutsu was just one of the many applications for sharingan, among many others. Izanagi, however, was among the most potent jutsu since it allowed the user to alter reality itself. By enabling the user to change the reality in which they died and construct a new one in which they are still alive, this jutsu is typically used to keep the user from dying. But because it was regarded as a prohibited jutsu, it also had disadvantages. The Izanagi comes at a massive price and takes away the light of the eye that it was cast from. Danzo desired to eliminate the threat posed by Aoto and create a reality in which he was liberated from these restraints using the Izanagi. He only had a small number of Hashirama cells implanted in him, but that was enough to give him brief control over reality. Danzo was perplexed by this a first, but Aoto''s remarks made him fearful of him for the first time. After reading Aoto''s report, he was aware that he had never previously interacted with any jutsu and was unaware of their history. This young person didn''t even attend a ninja academy. It was fine to be aware of typical Sharingan. Him taking away his eye was also fine as he assumed that Aoto didn''t know of the eye that he had hidden but Aoto knowing about the fact that he had Sharingan implanted upon him and knowing that he was trying to do Izanagi was a major red flag. "How... How do you know of Izanagi?" Danzo was forced to inquire. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Ask Orochimaru, if you are so desperate for the answer. Honestly speaking, I would love to kill you here. You are a cancer to Konoha. However, doing so would put me at odds with the Hokage, which is not a luxury I can''t currently afford." Aoto answered, dumping all of his fabrications onto one of Konoha''s greatest offenders. Danzo realized right away how this individual knew so much about him. His eyes, the Izanagi.. Only thing he couldn''t understand of how easily Aoto was able to overpower them. He was sure that even Orochimaru himself wouldn''t be able to train someone to that degree in his lifetime since Danzo had labeled Aoto as a spy of him in his mind. Aoto then proceeded to free the three of them. Seeing this all of the three were surprised. They first intended to respond negatively but ultimately restrained themselves. Danzo needed medical attention in order to recover. And there was no point in it. Aoto had wiped the floor with them in a few minutes. Danzo wanted to threaten Aoto but he was smart enough not to do it. He was already grateful that Aoto had decided not to kill him here as he thought for the first time in his life that he would die. But he was undoubtedly going to exact vengeance. Since his business was the only thing he held precious, he would use politics to destroy it. "I advise you to cease thinking about getting even if you are considering it. It wouldn''t take a second for me to take this eye and go to talk with Fugaku Uchiha. He would love to know how an eye that is the property of Uchiha landed on someone from the roots. You wouldn''t want a civil war in Konoha right now, would you?" Added Aoto. He smiled as innocently as he could, defying the enormous threat he had just made. Hearing Aoto''s threat, Danzo, who had already grasped the crutch in his hand, nearly collapsed to the side. "You wouldn''t be able to prove that it is taken from me. Nobody would take you seriously." "Are you a moron? Your blood is in my hands, and I work as a doctor occasionally. I could demonstrate that it is your blood in a flash. And the Uchihas would trust me as they already don''t trust you."Added Aoto. Danzo was unable to respond to Aoto''s statements since he was at a loss for words. He got the point now. Just so that Aoto could demonstrate his might in front of him, he had left the Anbu to return and call him. He had all the angles thought out from the get go and went for his eye. Aoto''s principal goal was that. "You''re shrewder than you let on, Aoto Yamazaki. You learned a lot from Orochimaru." Danzo remarked before turning to leave, but Aoto stopped him once more and stated before he could jump from the roof. "Shikuro will not be a member of Anbu anymore and nor will anyone from the Aburame clan will ever join the roots again." It wasn''t a question, but rather a statement from Aoto. Shikuro, who was following Danzo in silence, trembled when he heard Aoto mention his name. How could he know about him if he didn''t say his name aloud? What in the world was happening? Danzo whirled around and glared venomously at Aoto. He had just lost his Sharingan, and now Aoto was invading his territory as well. 68. This would spark a war "You have crossed boundaries here Aoto Yamazaki. You have no right to ask men from my organization." Danzo bellowed. "You are missing the point here. Your life is no longer yours. But mine to take." As soon as Aoto muttered the words, all the ropes that had previously retreated to the ground reappear in full force and bind him once more. He was in his knees. Again! "Danzo-sama!" Danzo trembled as he was once again restrained. He had forgotten that he had been released, not that he had been free to flee. It was Hiruzen again that had saved him. Why was it him again? Even when he was absent his shadow had just saved him from his doom. His greatest rival was able to give him an invisible blanket. He detested this sensation. "..You win. Shikruro is yours.." said Danzo. "Danzo, don''t be silly with me. Remove the seal on his tongue. Did you think I am an idiot?" As he freed Danzo, Aoto stated. Danzo was furious, but help was beyond his reach. He touched the cheek of Shikuro before he was freed and took away the seal. "System, is he clean?" [ Yes host, completely clean. ] "It''s a good thing you avoided any tricks. Or else your precious other guard would have lost his life here." Shikuro wanted to fight against being separated from Danzo, but he realized that his life was not his at the time, just like his superior. But he didn''t understand. Why was Aoto interested in him? Aoto was able to take him down without even moving. He was a child in front of Aoto, so why? When Fuu heard Aoto''s threat, he trembled slightly but refrained from speaking. He was really disappointed as well, and after being taken down, he was unable to talk. Danzo gave Shikuro a simple nod to show that he was free without saying anything. But by looking at his face, everyone can see that he was feeling terribly ashamed. He released the Shikuro seal while his other hand was trembling. "There. Can we leave now?" With venom in his voice, Danzo questioned. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Not just yet." As he beckoned Shikuro with his hand, Aoto spoke. Shikuro was fine because he felt nothing when the seal was broken. Although he wished to reject Aoto, he moved in his direction after realizing that he had no other option. They were ready to die for Konoha but he was sure that they didn''t have that luxury too. They were at Aoto''s mercy. "Open this person''s mouth," I said. Aoto pointed to the armless man who was unconscious and remarked. The individual had virtually been forgotten by the three. Danzo was already aware that the man was no longer suitable to serve as a ninja because he had become crippled. Shikuro nodded despite his confusion. While waiting for additional orders, he went and opened the mouth. A little vial was then removed by Aoto from his pocket. The liquid in the vial was green. For some reason, all three of them felt their hearts beat faster as they watched Aoto pull out the vial. The liquid was then poured into Aoto''s tiny, gaping mouth. "Make him consume it." Added Aoto. He didn''t understand why Aoto was asking him to do this, but he managed to do it by using his chakra to exert control over the nearly dead man''s throat muscles. But after a brief interval, a miracle took place. The man suddenly came out of his comatose state. But it didn''t end there. His hand, which had stopped bleeding, appeared to grow an arm overnight. Yes, a completely new arm. First came the bones that grew out of his severed hand, then came the tiny nerves that covered the bones, then the muscles and the entirety of the arm with skin and even small body hair. Forget about the one who just experienced an arm growth; the other three were visibly shaken by this miracle. Unexpectedly, a crippled individual with no future was back to normal. What the hell was in that vial? They all took far too long to even realize what was going on. The miracle here being the absence of using chakra and also able to heal a third person with just a vial. Danzo understood that if he could ever get this vial, Konoha would never suffer and could rule over the world easily. But sadly he was on the opposite camp of Aoto. Aoto belonged to Konoha, which was the situation''s single redeeming grace. Or did he? He was a spy of Orochimaru, so he belonged to no one. "Go back to your leash." As he kicked the man in the ass, Aoto said to him. He was still upset by the haughtiness of this man, but he had already exacted his retaliation. When he saw Danzo was present, he decided against speaking and put the mask back on. He returned to Danzo carefully before bowing. Danzo didn''t give a damn about showing respect and touched the man''s hand to make sure it was genuine. He even applied pressure repeatedly to test whether he could feel the new hand. Danzo intended to inquire about the most recent miracle, but Aoto interrupted him. "You comprehend why I am displaying this to you? Right?" Danzo responded, "No." "This vial can essentially repair any wounds, lost limbs, and even internal organ damage sustained during any conflict. It''s unfortunate that you won''t get it." Added Aoto. Danzo had no idea that Aoto was merely mocking him by doing this. He was a monster, this person. He believed the young man who was producing books about the human body was already monstrous and needed to be kept in check, but this man had already outgrown their ability to manage him. Even just this vial might spark a world war. Any village would go mad if they came to know that Konoha had a store of such amazing vials that could treat them in battle and wars. This changed everything. 69. You can come out When Danzo recognized what the vial was, he didn''t have greed in his eyes, but there was a hint of remorse. Aoto expected him to show greed but there was none. He then made a bow in Aoto''s direction and remarked "Aoto Yamazaki, I apologize for my impolite actions. I hope you will continue to support Konoha." Danzo said in a sincere manner. Hearing those comments astonished Aoto. No wonder this guy was able to manipulate everyone and he was doing the same with Aoto at the moment. This old fool''s love for Konoha was his one small saving grace, but their relationship was the most twisted and toxic Aoto had ever witnessed. Aoto remained silent and simply let Danzo, Fuu, and the masked Anbu go. The man felt both appreciative and upset with Aoto, yet he refrained from speaking to his boss for even a little moment. Aoto considered it a waste that he wasn''t killed. "His time will come." Aoto muttered to himself. Aoto, though, stayed put for the time being and simply observed the night sky. He spoke in a somewhat high tone after about three minutes. "You can come out." There was silence. "You have been looking at me for such a long time. Even sent Shisui to monitor me. And you took the mission yourself once he told you there was a ruckus. It wasn''t disappointing at all, Right?" Aoto kept waiting for a response. Then, out of the shadows cast by the nearby water tank on the top of the roof, there was a movement as a guy came into view. Fugaku Uchiha was the one who had risen from the shadows. "You are an enimga Aoto Yamazaki. A mystery box that I am not able to solve." Fugaku spoke gently as he got closer to Aoto. There was no fear in his steps and he seemed to be genuinely surprised by Aoto. Aoto flung a medium-sized jar at him without offering an answer. Fugaku already had his sharingan turned on, so he could see what was coming at him. It was the sharingan eye that Aoto took away from Danzo. Fugaku arrived here shortly after the Anbu did. The system had alerted him that Shisui had been hidden and watching him for a considerable amount of time. This took place following Fugaku''s previous stop. He was curious about the mysteries this man might be hiding. Sadly, Aoto lacked these traits and was one of the most uninteresting businessmen ever. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Either he was working, sleeping, or eating. Social life was nearly nonexistent. The only little social life he had was with Teuchi and Ayame along with his employers who lived with him. Out of nowhere Shisui showed up at Fugaku''s doorstep and spoke of the Abu attack. He immediately got into action. Even though he was upset with Aoto, he didn''t have any particularly evil intentions for the latter. It was later he understood that Aoto had just saved his son. Itachi might have suffered a lot later and passed away young if he hadn''t had thus early a diagnosis. So he wanted to safeguard Aoto from any harm. Plus, it meant that Danzo was aiming at Aoto. He would never permit such a thing to occur. But it''s enough to say that he was taken aback by what he witnessed. Danzo was defeated by Aoto without any difficulty. Additionally, he learned that Danzo had also taken a sharingan. It was probably from the battlefield. Though he wanted to confront Danzo, he wanted to wait and see how things went. He was startled more and more as he observed. "You flatter me Fugaku-san. How are the treatments with Itachi?" Asked Aoto. "He is okay; his medication has made him a little frail, but he will make it. Do you not intend to use the sharingan for your research? Given your ability to do miracles, perhaps you will discover more secrets than you think." Fugaku continued to be in awe of the newly delivered vial. "Hahaha, why? You trust me so much now that you want me to keep the sharingan?" Asked Aoto. "You protected us against Danzo. I believe that is sufficient to gain our faith." Aoto observed that Fugaku didn''t state he defended Fugaku specifically, but rather the clan. He unintentionally meant that Aoto had Uchiha''s backing. He felt quite satisfied by this. At least the gamble paid off. "What if I had purposefully changed the words to draw you in because I knew you were here?" "Hahahah.. If I hadn''t been here, I think you still would have carried out the same action. You wanted to take his eye from the get go." said Fugaku. Aoto felt embarrassed as he got exposed here. He had set the trap just so that he could get the eye of Danzo. "Fine. However, I am not interested and I don''t need the sharingan to know its mysteries. I don''t have chakra anyways." Added Aoto. Fugaku rolled his eyes. This guy just wiped the floor with Danzo and he was saying that he didn''t have chakra? Who was he kidding? But since he wasn''t interested in the sharingan he wouldn''t force him to do experiments. He was still angry that Danzo had stolen the treasure of the clan. But he knew that he couldn''t do anything with it. It could be just be used as leverage against the higher ups when needed and that was it. He was aware that Danzo was still crucial to the Hokage and that there was nothing he could do to permanently remove him from his position. "Can I buy the vial..?" Fugaku asked in a very subdued manner, but Aoto answered before he could finish. "Not now Fugaku-san. Imagine you having the vial and others not having it in Konoha. Do you think Konoha will spare you after that? Konoha won''t even need Danzo to prosecute the Uchiha at the moment. Wait for the vial to be sold sparingly and to all. I promise it will be soon." 70. Here is your contract Fugaku nodded and was about to vanish from the sight of Aoto but stopped himself and said. "Danzo is mistaken in one respect," said Fugaku. "Oh! Tell me more." Aoto became curious because he was curious about what Fugaku observed that he had missed. "You can never be Orochimaru''s apprentice. He is not qualified to instruct someone of this caliber. That begs the question. If he isn''t your mentor then how the hell do you have access to information related to Orochimaru?" Fugaku answered. Aoto was surprised by this. Orochimaru would serve as a buffer against any sneaky attacks from Danzo, therefore he had brought him up. Although Aoto might be secure at home, it was hard for someone like John and Arya to stay out of this situation, and someone like Danzo would go to any lengths to accomplish his objectives. As a result, adopting the name Orochimaru implied that Aoto was significant to him because he was aware of Danzo''s secrets. He had no idea that Fugaku could even hazard a guess that this wasn''t true. "That is not accurate. A extremely powerful man can tutor a useless being, as can a normal man, and vice versa. Such instances have occurred throughout history. One is totally accountable to themselves, not their parents or teachers." Aoto spoke as he genuinely believed what he was saying, not merely because of the shinobi society. He was not raised in a stable home, yet he managed to escape. "So you are an apprentice of his?" Fugaku asked. Aoto just smiled at him in response. He didn''t even directly say that he was an apprentice of Orochimaru. It was called plausible deniability. It''s upto them how they interpreted his words. Because of one''s connections, certain individuals¡ªthose with excellent teachers and environments¡ªget a head start, but that wasn''t always the case for everyone. Others were self-made. Additionally, Nagato and Naruto, students of Jirayas, outperformed the teacher in the wider world of shinobi. Sasuke, Orochimaru''s own apprentice, also outperformed him and once even almost killed him. This was a testament that Fugaku''s statement was wrong. Fugaku was taken aback by his remarks, but he didn''t challenge Aoto. He gave Aoto and Shikuro one more glance before disappearing into the night. "Right! I almost forgot about you." Aoto said while looking at the new prisoner that he held. Shikuro''s heart was trembling within as he briefly shook and knelt in obeisance to Aoto. The roots were unaware of Aoto''s closeness to the Uchiha clan''s chief. They were aware that Fugaku had twice visited Aoto at this time, but this never suggested that he had such contact with Fugaku. What the hell happened in two visits? "System, can I use this man?" Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. [ Host, there is no such function for a third. It''s either employees or employer. ] "Employees? Huh.. You''re saying that I can hire him like I did with John and Arya? [ You''re mistaken, host. John Snow and Arya Stark aren''t employees of yours and they have no obligation to you. They are obligated to Hot Pie and the host has just hijacked them. The host is merely manipulating the summons'' assistance because there are no rules governing how to employ them. If the host wants to hire an employee then the host needs to sign a contract with a person. ] "Wait, so I can hire this guy under contract?" [ Yes, the host is currently able to recruit someone from outside the summoning. The current number that the host can hire - 1 ] "Perfect. Is he someone I can hire? Will he betray me if I hire him?" [ The employee contract is shown below. This Employee Contract is made and entered into on [October 10] between Aoto Yamazaki and Shikuro Aburame. 1.Position and Responsibilities: 1.1 The Employer agrees to employ the Employee as a helper at the [Shop Name]. 1.2 The Employee shall perform duties assigned by the Employer, which may include but are not limited to: assisting customers, maintaining cleanliness, organizing inventory, and other related tasks as required. 2.Term of Employment: 2.1 This Contract shall commence on October 10 and continue until Aoto Yamazaki negates the contract. 3.Working Hours and Remuneration: 3.1 The Employee agrees to work 30 hours per week as determined by the Employer''s schedule or whatever work the Employer assigns the Employee. If the total hours spent in service of the Employer is more than 30 hours/week, the Employee can charge upto 10 ryo extra per hour from the Employer but not more than that. Or if the Employer suggests, the Employee can also accept other forms of remuneration like products, services and other multiversal ways of gaining power 3.2 The Employee''s wage/salary will be 20 ryo per hour and will be paid on 5th of every month. 4. Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality: 4.1 The Employee shall maintain the confidentiality of any proprietary or sensitive information pertaining to the Employer''s business, customers, products, or processes. 4.2 The Employee shall not disclose any confidential information to any third party during or after the employment period without the prior written consent of the Employer. 4.3. Failure to abide by the aforementioned two clauses will result in the Employee''s immediate death and the immediate erasure of all memories relating to the Employee in the minds of others. 5.Entire Agreement: 5.1 This Contract constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties and supersedes any prior understandings or agreements, whether written or oral, relating to the employment of the Employee. By signing below, the Parties acknowledge and agree to the terms and conditions set forth in this Employee Contract. Employer: Aoto Yamazaki Signature - Employee: Shikuro Aburame Signature - ] Aoto read through the whole contract and suffice to say he was very happy with the contract. Especially with the confidentiality agreement. He would rule over this man for the rest of his days. There was no escaping from him. Without any second thought Aoto forwarded the paper contract to Shikuro. Shikuro who had just seen Aoto conjure a paper out of thin air wasn''t that surprised but when he was given the contract to read he was dumbfounded. 71. Dont die on me Employment until Aoto negates the contract and what was this about deleting his memories from others brain? Was this a paper seal of some kind that would function like the Danzo''s seal did? What was this clause of the multiverse? "You don''t have any other way to get out of here if you don''t accept the contract." Aoto remarked while pointing out that he would undoubtedly perish if Shikuro rejected the pact. Shikuro took a moment to consider Aoto before deciding. Danzo tactics was cruel for him anyways and he was trying to find a way to get out of that hellhole. He now has a chance. Though he was unsure of Aoto''s personality, he had a gut instinct that, despite the brutality he had just unleashed on them, Aoto was more kindhearted than Danzo and less manipulative. Even though he could have easily used the Sharingan eye for himself, he outright handed it away. Shikuro wasted little time in placing his thumbprint in the position of his signature after biting the tip of his finger. [ Employee contract sealed. Aoto Yamazaki now employs Shikuro Aburame. It should be noted that Aoto Yamazaki must always pay Shikuro fairly; else, the employer will suffer the consequences. ] "Damn, even I have a restriction." Meanwhile, Shikuro felt a weird sensation that passed through his body after he put his blood spot down. He had the impression that he was subject to a slight constraint, but he wasn''t sure where. He wasn''t sure where it was but it was ever present inside him. He was aware that going forward, Aoto owned him and could command him to perform any task as long as compensation was made in exchange for his services. He merely prayed that Konoha wouldn''t be in any danger. "Shikuro Aburame. Do you know why I took fancy at you and not Fuu Yamanaka?" Aoto enquired after receiving the notification. Now that he was bound by a confidentiality agreement, he was free to express himself fully. "I am sorry I know not Aoto-sama." Shikuro responded in a respectful manner. "Sama? Oye? Do I really look that old?" After learning of his designation, Aoto became irate. "Uh! no.. Nothing like that." Aoto was still a teenager in all respects and was not yet an adult, at least not in his own views. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "So don''t call me sama, please. I don''t govern over others or have a superiority complex like that a**hole Danzo, nor am I old. Do you understand?" Aoto bellowed. "Yes. Yes.." After addressing Aoto as sama, Shikuro wasn''t prepared for such a resounding response. "Be aware of that. And it''s because of your son that I chose you over Fuu." Added Aoto. This made him shudder. He didn''t anticipate that his biggest secret would have been revealed to someone else. He kept the fact that he had a son from everyone and guarded it fiercely. The Roots were generally forbidden from feeling emotions, and those who did were instructed to control their feelings so that they wouldn''t interfere with their tasks. They were prepared to shed their own blood in order to protect and strengthen Konoha. He didn''t want his son to choose the same path as him, which was why he had kept him stashed away. But how did Aoto know that he had a son recently? He was the child''s sole parent because the mother passed away during childbirth, and he frequently visited the infant, but only after completing the necessary safety steps and making sure that the Roots were unaware of it. However, he also understood that this situation couldn''t last forever, and he was prepared to place his son in the care of Shino''s father, Shibi Aburame, for adoption. "What.. What do you want with my son? How do you know of him?" Shikuro was worried because for a split second, he believed Aoto was conducting research on his son. "Chill, Shikuro. I meant that I wouldn''t want your son to be fatherless if he is brought up by you. Don''t you think so?" "Fatherless?" Shikuro enquired. As he was still alive, he was unable to comprehend. After Shikuro''s passing, Torune, Shikuro''s son, finally joined Roots. Torune and Shino were basically raised as brothers together before Danzo snatched him up. When Shibi refused to accept his request for Shino to join the roots, Torune ultimately offered himself up to save his brother. This eventually led to his demise at the 4th Great Ninja war at the hands of Obito and later sealed again by the hands of Shino himself. Shikuro''s continued existence meant that Torune still had his father since Shikuro passed away under unknown circumstances, most likely at Danzo''s hands or while on a mission. And Aoto had warned against going to the Aburame clan was because he didn''t want Danzo to go for Shino or other clan members. The Aburame clan was really a powerful one and deserved to grow in their own speed. Aoto thus managed to save both the father and the son. "Attend to your son well. Let him join the Academy like all others and give the fatherly love that he deserves. Don''t die too soon. There is lot of world for you to see." Added Aoto. Shikuro was shocked to hear Aoto because he was still unsure of who he was and how he knew about his son. ''Was that all he wanted? He only took me in to look after my son, right? But I''m positive that he placed limitations on me. So he''s compassionate and fierce at the same time?'' As Aoto continued, Shikuro was contemplating all he had just stated. "Now go. I am sure you have injuries. Go and let your child have a normal childhood instead of dying in foolish missions. Remember, you work for me now and you can''t go around dying on me. Work for me until I deem to have been satisfied." Added Aoto. 72. An authentic medical school Aoto was back in his place and as expected John and Arya were wide awake while Hot Pie was almost dozing off while sitting. Poor thing! Sleep was too overwhelming for him to remain awake. Even with their swords in hand, John and Arya stood there. "I told you swordsmanship won''t be able to safeguard you." Aoto admonished John and Arya, but their ears were closed. Aoto woke Hot Pie up, and she was relieved that everything was alright. He then went on to have a restful sleep. Others did the same after him. Aoto was mentally drained and needed a strong sleep.
The next day. Shikuro arrived very early. Aoto had difficulty seeing his face the previous evening, so this time he had a clear view of him. He wore a black overcoat that was covered by the traditional Konoha jonin uniform, and he had black, somewhat spiked hair. And as his son, Shikuro also had goggles on his eyes that also covering half f his face. He had a very pronounced jawline, from whatever part of his face was visible. As he opened the bakery, Aoto remarked, "You are quite early." "I didn''t get the timings from you. I am sorry." stated Shikuro. "Alright get to work. Help Hot Pie and John. From now you will go to the school and sell the things that we sell there. I suppose you know of what John is selling." Asked Aoto. Shikuro gave a nod. Aoto''s past had been thoroughly investigated, so they were aware of what he was discussing. Hearing that, John felt relieved. For him, going close to the school was quite difficult. He had never experienced such convenience in his life, and managing the children was a constant challenge. Shikuro was glad to assist Aoto with his labor and accept such a mundane task. He would have ample time to care for his newborn son and be with him.
Since Danzo had appeared at Aoto''s door, two more days had passed. There was also another visitor this evening. Aoto didn''t anticipate someone like him to appear. The Supervisor of Konoha Hospital. Aoto and Shikuro were at the time busy cleaning up the bakery. Shikuro quickly became a part of the group, including Aoto. Despite the fact that it had only been two days, he was already having fun at work. There was nothing wrong with leading a straightforward life of hard work and child care. Surprisingly, neither the roots nor his former coworkers showed up at his door. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. It seemed like they got really scared. Shikuro stiffened at the sight of the Supervisor and went into full alert mode right away. He kept a kunai buried and gently pulled it out of his little back. The reason why he did so was because it was him who had passed on the information to the Supervisor about rejecting the book of Aoto. Therefore, his return indicated that he had been approached by someone else. "Why are you here?" Shikuro activated full defense mode. Aoto found it quite strange because the system had earlier notified him that the Supervisor of Konoha had no ulterior motives in visiting; otherwise, all the missiles would have been pointing at him by this time. "You are.. " The Supervisor was taken aback to see a jonin/chunin ninja standing and performing bakery-related duties. He only knew of normal workers like John and Hot Pie, when did a jonin/chunin ninja join the group. This was bad. He didn''t recognize the jonin because when Shikuro went to pass on the order of Danzo he was wearing a mask to hide himself. "Shikuro, calm down." Aoto observed the animosity. Shikuro''s expression alternated between surprise and reverence as he regarded Aoto. He knew how easy Aoto could take them down, and a medical ninja like the Supervisor shouldn''t be too difficult to defeat. He still didn''t understand what jutsu he was using to make a fool out of them. And that was why Shikuro was a little bit of fan of Aoto. He was always engaged in his routine menial task, but he was still so strong that they couldn''t even comprehend him. "Why are you here?" Aoto questioned the Supervisor without seeing Shikuro''s somewhat altered demeanor. Of course, the googles prevented Aoto from seeing his reverence eyes. "I.. I came here to tell sorry.. Your books can be published and be distributed." stated the Supervisor. He had no idea that he would go visit Aoto''s house and all but beg for pardon. Danzo had personally arrived the previous evening and instructed him to start listening to Aoto''s advice. He shivered at this. He could tell by Danzo''s demeanor that Aoto had done something to him that would have been traumatic for an elderly guy. He had spent his entire life as a medical ninja, so he was able to recognize the symptoms of trauma. He naturally wanted to know why this was the case because he was intrigued. Danzo, though, only offered him one piece of advice. "Don''t ever mess with Aoto Yamazaki." He was a former medical ninja for the Roots, thus he was familiar with the system and how Danzo dominated the Roots with iron chains in his hands. Danzo was also terrified of a young man who didn''t even go to the Academy. Aoto was undoubtedly experiencing some sort of problem. "Hmm.. I have changed my mind." Added Aoto. The Supervisor glanced beseechingly at Aoto while his feet shook. He had no idea what Aoto was, but he wished for the best. "I am willing to hear the words of you." stated the Supervisor. "Open a medical school with a focus on those who had no prior knowledge of ninjas and teach my rewritten book there. The brightest minds of the community would be used to select the students who could enroll in the institution." "Medical school for normal people?" The Supervisor was surprised by this. "Yes. I have talked with Hokage about it long back. I will provide the books with all the information and you will get the teachers to teach new students about medical procedures ." 73. Sharing is caring He was perplexed. When they already had medical ninja, why would they want to start medical schools? Since Konoha''s medical jutsu was far superior to that of other villages, neither its population nor its jutsus ever suffered from a scarcity. So why was this guy adamant on teaching the normal people about it. He obviously didn''t question him, though, and complied with the directive. After his behavior toward Aoto, he was fortunate enough to even keep his job. "By the way, you are just a Supervisor of the Konoha Hospital. So be sure to control your ego. A doctor shouldn''t have such a low respect for other people''s lives." As The Supervisor was leaving the premises, Aoto spoke. When he stated that, he didn''t even bother to look at him, but the Supervisor shivered as the monotone tone resonated in his ears. "Yes, I will commit it to memory." The Supervisor stated while seeming uneasy. He left after saying his goodbyes and disappeared into the evening''s crowd with a few strides. "He is in a hurry to leave." Hot Pie, who had been seeing the spectacle from a distance, grinned. "He is just a nobody." Since he couldn''t even recall his being referenced anywhere in the cannon, Aoto spoke as if it were the truth. Aoto didn''t give it much thought and let the situation to develop naturally. He finally felt liberated after getting rid of the thorn in his neck after taking care of Danzo so he was busy handling his work. A few more days had passed until Hokage himself appeared in the KFC restaurant one lovely evening. He arrived after donning a straightforward disguise, which might be detected by someone who paid attention. John figured out his identity when he ordered some chicken and asked Ayame to call Aoto in the restaurant. Aoto slowly came to the restaurant and saw an old man sitting on the side. The system didn''t notify him as he wasn''t putting on an active surveillance and neither Hokage was a threat as perceived by the system. He understood why John had called immediately and slowly went on to sit opposite to the Hokage who seemed to be munching down on the chicken wings like a man in extreme hunger. "The chicken wings won''t fly away, Hokage-sama. You can eat gradually." "Leave me alone. All these days I feel like I am eating bugs as coming here is the best decision I took today." the Hokage said, forgetting all his demeanor ad gorging on the food. Aoto grinned at the old man''s immaturity and simply let him eat while he waited. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The restaurant was already empty when the Hokage finished eating because it was closing time. Aoto and the Hokage were free to discuss anything they wished while John put up the closed sign. He didn''t want to get involved in politics once more. He did that once and had to kill his queen for that. "So Hokage-sama, now can you tell me the actual reason you are here?" Asked Aoto. "Why? Should I not come for the food?" "I guess so. But I think you also have another goal in mind. You wouldn''t have waited until everyone had left the store if you hadn''t." Added Aoto. "Hahaha.. You''re correct. I am here because I heard about your proposed medical school for the people who didn''t know of medical ninjutsu. Is that true?" Hokage chuckled. "Hokage-sama, I think we spoke of this long back. Did you believe I was joking at the time?" Aoto questioned this since he didn''t understand why it was so difficult for people to comprehend that regular people could do surgery and administer medication as well. They lacked only the right medications. "But there has been nothing like that until now. There are medications for the diseased people but for serious issue the one who does the medical procedure has always been a medical ninja. You desire a change in that?" This time, the Hokage requested in a more solemn manner. "Why? Can''t it change?" In no way intimidated, Aoto responded with a question. "There are no problems in bringing changes but do you have the ability to take it forward?" Hokage enquired. Aoto looked at Hokage for a second and told him to wait for a minute or two. He returned, carrying a sizable book, and set it on Hokage''s table. The book appeared to be rather large and contained at least 1000 pages. Hiruzen was curious about it and opened the first page to begin reading. Aoto poured himself a drink because he knew Hiruzen would need some time to read this. Hiruzen continued to read for another hour or two before putting the book down and giving Aoto a skeptical rather than enthusiastic gaze. And the rationale for that was very different. "Did you make this?" Hokage enquired. The book Aoto had given the Hokage was about heart ailments and all the methods one needed to use to treat them. It came from a highly developed human culture. "Let''s simply say that I have access to knowledge that humans have previously lost, Hokage-sama. I don''t want to lie to you, but I can''t speak the whole truth. The only thing I can guarantee is that everything in this is entirely factual. You can ask the medical staff to test the procedures if you don''t believe me." Aoto spoke with confidence and passion. ''Access to hidden ancient knowledge? Is that the reason why he is so good in manipulating chakra even though he had only small amounts of it? Are we regressing from the old times?'' When Hiruzen heard Aoto''s explanation, he was thinking a lot of things. "Then why don''t you share this supposedly ancient information with the entire village so that everyone can benefit from it?" Hiruzen enquired. Hearing that question Aoto squinted his eyebrows as he looked at Hokage. The temperature in the lonely and vacant restaurant seemed to have dropped a few degree when Hiruzen asked the question. "Hokage-sama, do you share all the jutsus of all the clans to the people of the village equally and for free?" Aoto asked. 74. You are a ninja Hiruzen and Aoto looked at each other with two pairs of sharp eyes and it lasted for a full second. Any observer would think that a fight could start at any time. The distant sound of chirping crickets carried through the night, complementing the tense silence inside the KFC. The surrounding buildings casted long shadows, adding to the cloak of secrecy that shrouded the restaurant. But then suddenly Hiruzen began to laugh. His laugh were so high pitched that they echoed throughout the entire restaurant. The most intriguing aspect of all was that his chuckle truly felt sincere. Even when Hiruzen seemed to be on full fight mode and showing cruel eyes, the system didn''t notify Aoto that he had become a threat. He was perplexed because of this. "Hahahah.. I like you.. I really like you." Hiruzen remarked as he cautiously pulled a band out of the tiny bag he was carrying. The band was a blue colored one made out of durable fabric and on the middle of the lang band was a metal plate which had a sign of a leaf-shaped design with a swirl at its center. Aoto could easily make out that it was the shinobi headband one was given when they became a genin and would follow him or her till the end of their lives. Ordinarily, it was particular to a certain village, but occasionally there were exceptional situations, such as the Fourth Great Ninja War. "What''s this?" Aoto questioned out of confusion. "A sign that you are now a shinobi." Hiruzen said while beaming broadly. Aoto heard that with his eyes wide open. He believed that Danzo had sold him, or perhaps the people under Danzo that he had taught a lesson before. But if that were the case and Danzo had told Hiruzen how he was defeated, Hiruzen would have approached him the following day to inquire about his power. But Hiruzen didn''t seem to have such thoughts or was curious about him. So what took place? "Neither do I have chakra nor have I ever been to the academy. You already did a check." Aoto said as he wanted to enquire if Danzo had sold him or not indirectly with the last sentence. Hiruzen said while shaking his head. "A shinobi doesn''t need to have chakra always to prove their presence. With your work, you have demonstrated a high level of intelligence and knowledge. This headband is a token of Konoha''s gratitude to you for defending it, or in your case, for saving future lives and altering how people generally view the world." Hiruzen spoken. "However, Hokage-sama, even if you grant me the headband, I still can''t accept missions." Aoto remarked that he wasn''t sure why he was being given this particular item. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "I know and you won''t have to take missions. You will do whatever you like and Konoha will help you. You have the will of fire inside you for passing your knowledge to others. Konoha doesn''t care where you get your jutsus or your knowledge, as long as you protect the village and uplift it. You are doing more than enough by sharing the books. That goes beyond anything anyone could hope for. If Konoha had gone for the private collections of all shinobis, then the village wouldn''t last for a long time. " Hiruzen spoken. Aoto was quite astonished by this. Not because he heard the elderly guy''s kind remarks, but rather because of the way the old man drew him in. He was giving this headband to Aoto to help him feel at home. Although it may not have had much financial significance, it had symbolic meaning. Hiruzen knew that though Aoto loved money but his previous records had shown that he was very desperate to become a ninja and wanted to wear a headband. At least, it was the Aoto''s intention prior to the new guy taking control of his body. Hiruzen pulled that string and gave him the headband to make Aoto feel that he belonged to Konoha and always had a home here. Aoto accepted the headband without objecting. He felt a tiny sense of happiness when clutching the band. Perhaps it was because the deceased spirit had wished for it, or perhaps it was because he himself had desired to become a ninja. He wasn''t a true ninja, but at least he had the genuine headband that Hokage had given him. "But Hokage-sama, what about the school and the books?" Aoto enquired as that was his major worry. "Naturally, Konoha will shortly begin construction on a school. The pupils that come to study will also receive your books. However, the information will be made available to both ninjas and individuals who failed to graduate from the academy. This will give the normal people living here a purpose and it will help to unite the village."Hiruzen spoken. ''This old man does have a good head over his shoulders.'' As Aoto saw Hiruzen use the books to introduce the Konoha residents to the shinobi world, he had a thought. No wonder, Tobirama saw something in this person rather than going for someone who belonged to his own clan. "Thank you" Aoto spoke while feeling a little teary-eyed. He truly didn''t anticipate this from Hiruzen, who he had assumed would be prepared to beat him. "However, please verify it by checking my books from the medical ninjas." Aoto spoke because he didn''t want to leave any room for interpretation and then face retaliation. "Although I will double-check the books, I trust you. You shouldn''t be concerned. Your trust will never be betrayed by Konoha." Hiruzen said. He knew this child didn''t trust people readily, so he had to have faith in him before he would have faith in him. Nodding, Aoto. "May I borrow the book?" Hiruzen enquired. Aoto shrugged, not particularly caring for any one book. He could see 100 books once the school was open and do his assignment. But out of nowhere, Hiruzen inquired about the book''s pricing. He wouldn''t say no, of course, since he was getting paid. He only granted him permission to take the book for free because he was the Hokage. He would never be lenient in front of others. 75. What can you bring to the team ? 5 months had passed since Hiruzen had come and proposed the idea of a medical school and true to his words, Konoha started construction to this new school. Aoto was quite pleased to find that the school''s construction had reached the halfway point in less than five months. Probably because the Hokage himself was endorsing for the school and that Danzo didn''t speak a word about it. Hiruzen did find it weird when he came to know that Shikuro ha joined the bakery. When an Anbu informed him of the situation, he became enraged and immediately confronted Danzoin. "Danzo, like I previously stated. You are not allowed to touch even a small hair of Aoto." Hiruzen shouted at the office after calling him there. Danzo was currently a little weak because he had recently lost a lot of blood as well as his eye. After hearing Hiruzen''s comments, Danzo took a long, thoughtful glance into his eyes. ''You think I will let someone like Shikuro look over that monster. He was taken away by him. Why don''t you try to discuss it with him? It is good that he is only interested in business and is loyal to Konoha, or else I would love to wage war against this kid alone.'' "Hiruzen, you are overthinking. Shikuro was no longer employed with the Roots." Danzo spoke in a collected manner. "Who are you trying to fool? Once a person joins your Anbu, they are unable to leave. Bring Shikuro back." Hiruzen urged. "Hiruzen, I have told you that he is no longer a member of the Roots. He disregarded the Root''s most crucial tenet. He has fathered a child and grew feelings for someone else. Konoha''s best guards can''t allow that to happen, but since he has been on my side most of his life, I gave him the freedom to walk away. You can check if he has the seal or not." Danzo spoke before beginning to walk away. He had provided all the necessary explanation and didn''t want to continue. He was worn out. Hiruzen didn''t attempt to halt his friend; he simply watched him leave. He would send someone to verify the entire notion, of course. "If Shikuro is really hired by Aoto then he can stay there. That''s weird, he just a great asset from Aburame clan, why didn''t he ask for another member from that clan?" Since Hiruzen had known Danzo for virtually his entire life, he was familiar with the way his friend thought. He had the impression that Danzo was concealing something. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. There was now even more justification to watch out for Aoto and Shikuro. He summoned an Anbu right away and requested him to watch over Shikuro and report back to him frequently. "Maybe I should go to the restaurant today. I miss his fired chicken." Hiruzen pondered. Aoto, meantime, didn''t do nothing over the past five months. He had been operating normally and was content with his present state. Even though his books hadn''t yet been sold, the newly appointed principal had already gotten in touch with Aoto and mentioned buying his volumes and cataloging all of Konoha''s knowledge of medical procedures. Konoha wasn''t a big city, therefore the school doesn''t have to be as big and ornate as the Hospital and can even be smaller than the current Academy. The Academy and other school have begun looking for pupils in order to select the best ones for the institution. Of course this could only be done for this year and couldn''t be repeated every year and a proper exam needed to be established for get into the school. Aoto had pitched in his idea of exams that would span for a year evaluating the students if they were mentally capable of handling the journey to be a doctor. In a world of shinobi where the continents were far larger than the Earth he came from, where the medical facilities required to be top notch in order to cope with the problem, he knew firsthand that being a doctor wasn''t simple. Obviously, if Aoto wanted to have an impact on the medical profession, this would be a very long-term effort that would take a lot of time. The medical school wasn''t the only thing that Aoto was taking care at the moment. After he got the old version of Windows 98 he understood that there was a problem with the hardware. This world didn''t have a dedicated keyboard and a mouse to start with and the processors the current computing machines had wasn''t very good to begin with . Aoto was lucky that he was an IT worker and that too in core studies of computer. Despite having a background in software programming, he had some knowledge of hardware and could provide a very approximate estimate of the processors and other components that would be required to construct a decent PC. So in order to finish that he had showed up on the doorstep of the cryptology department. He met the Department''s chief after receiving the Hokage''s suggestion. Yamanaka, Inoichi. The father of Ino. He read through the letter of Aoto and looked at him from top to bottom. "Hokage has a lot of faith in you. So tell me, what can you offer to the team." Inoichi looked at him with skepticism and wanted to know what had this come up with in order to make the Hokage recommend him. "I am glad you asked, I am Aoto Yamazaki. Here is my strategy and my vision for the future regarding what I want to establish." Aoto remarked as he pulled out many pages and began demonstrating how he would want to construct a PC and how it would be beneficial in their work. He spoke with Inoichi for more than an hour, starting from the communication among these PCs to be able to compute huge problems. Inoichi, who initially had a stoic look, began to see how important this thing might be if it were properly developed. 76. Am I in danger? Inoichi kept asking questions while Aoto described essentially how to construct an actual PC. His department and he had never conceptualized technology like Aoto did. Although the department did believe that using a television screen and computation may be possible in the future, Aoto had just introduced a superior format and had simplified everything. The other members of the unit moved closer to listen to Aoto''s explanation as Inoichi grew increasingly interested in it. After a protracted conversation and explanation, Inochi said. "We will need money, and quite a bit of it, to make this thing that you suggested." "Yes. I have explained to Hokage about the higher cost but he didn''t give me any guarantee. It will depend upon you, Inoichi-san to convince him to fund us in this whole project. We don''t require many computers. Just a few ones that will help in Konoha. We can sell it to the daimyos if we want to make money off of this. I am confident they will adore purchasing these." Added Aoto. "Computers? That''s a fancy name to this thing. It is a good name, though. You have really astonished us, Aoto Yamazaki. It makes sense why the Hokage gave you the Konoha headband. When it comes to task management, we will already be leagues ahead of other villages if even half of what you imagine is correct." said Inoichi. Aoto grinned at this man''s praise and reflected ''50%? You don''t even know what computers did to my world. It changed the world in a decade.'' Aoto left the cryptology department and returned to his home. He hoped Inoichi could convince Hiruzen since he was unsure whether the Hokage would allow it because the beginning would undoubtedly require a significant amount of funding. Today was the day Inoichi appeared at his bakery after this occurred two months ago. "Welcome Inoichi-san. Looking at your bright face I presume that you have secured the funds." Asked Aoto. "Hahaha.. Am I that obvious? I think I need to work on my facial expressions. Being someone in the intelligence and cryptology department, this will be quite the downfall of mine." Inoichi spoke in a sarcastic manner. "You did convince the old man to help us in this endeavour after a long time so that calls for a celebration." Added Aoto. "Sure, sure." said Inoichi. Aoto and Inoichi communicated frequently throughout the previous months, and Aoto shared his thoughts. Inochi became more enthralled with each new account of Aoto''s visions that he heard. Aoto was referring to how communication will alter if a suitable system was put in place. He mentioned a long-distance radio network covering a large area, as well as the construction of a radio tower on Konoha from which the general public could receive announcements. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Naturally, Inoichi found it extremely difficult to comprehend radio waves and believed Aoto to be lying. But he liked the concept and believed that, if it were ever feasible, it might be employed in numerous ways. Since Konoha still didn''t have experience with radio wave technology, they didn''t know anything about it. In all honesty, if he had done it in the Amegakure no Sato (Hidden Rain village), it would have been much simpler for him to develop his ideas in the shortest amount of time. That village was superior to others in terms of technology. Sad that, the rainy London, had decided to go down the path of destruction. One of the reasons he was trying to be so politically active with the clans was because it would help him in his business and also help him save the world from self destructing. The people here didn''t even know the danger the ones from outside the planet posed on them and were busy fighting among themselves over ideals. Those ideals wouldn''t matter if they didn''t have a land to live and were getting sucked away as one time used battery to power someone else. He also intended to gather everyone together because he had plans outside of the shinobi realm, in the outer world and in space. He had received a book about the heart from an advanced civilization thanks to the system, and that gave him hope that, under the right circumstances, he could use it to travel to the stars. He had been slain by a meteor in a past life, so it was only natural that he wished to exact revenge on those dead meteors. Well those were his random and far off thoughts. Now that he had been asked to a party, he didn''t mind going with Inoichi and the others. Even Shikuro joined Aoto at the BBQ joint. "To a long and prosperous partnership. Cheers." Inoichi shouted while holding up a glass of sake. After three shots, he was feeling a touch too excited. Aoto never really enjoyed drinking, so he only had one shot before quitting. "To a long and healthy life. Cheers." As that was now his primary objective, Aoto stated. He desired a peaceful existence free from the continual fear of conflict and devastation because only then would his business prosper. Although he didn''t interact much, Shikuro appeared to have made friends with them and was clearly delighted to be here. "John, I bet the alcohol is better than your place." Asked Aoto. "Better than the Wall." John replied while gulping down a shot. "I had better ones where I was trained." Says Arya. She was permitted to drink because she was no longer young. Inoichi brought out a few departmental subordinates in addition to himself when he arrived. When John, Arya, and Hot Pie left the town, the locals were interested in their lives and inquired about them. They didn''t technically tell kids lies, but they did conceal portions of their past. While they were celebrating, Aoto from the corner of his eye saw someone entering the restaurant and seeing the person, he stiffened in his place. Mostly out of fear. He didn''t understand why this person was here but the presence of this person was bad news for Aoto. The person was Konan. 77. Hidden Sand Village Konan appeared to blend in completely with the crowd while wearing period-appropriate clothing for women, but her distinctive blue hair, like Naruto''s yellow hair, was recognizable from a distance. She was eating a piece of pork and periodically glanced around as she sat alone in the restaurant''s single chair and table area. Everything appeared normal, but as she glanced at some of the Konoha''s shinobi, Aoto noticed that she had moments of anger in her eyes. Aoto could detect compassion and even some annoyance in those beady eyes, albeit it was very subtly present. Konan and her two friends, had a very hard life. Living in destitution, receiving training from a Legendary Sanin, and ultimately losing Yahiko. Because she had gained so much knowledge from someone who belonged to Konoha but also lost out at the end at the hands of the same people who belonged to this place, Konan had both contempt and compassion for this place. Fuck you, Danzo. Shikuro, who was standing next to him, also observed that Aoto was intently focusing on Konan. He initially believed that Aoto was simply admiring one particularly stunning woman, but soon he sensed that something wasn''t right. He immediately went on guard. After spending months with them, Shikuro realized that Aoto wasn''t easily fazed and that he wasn''t particularly attracted to the attractive girls who seemed to be keeping an eye on him. Aoto had lately established himself as a renowned businessman. Even though Arya managed the Victoria''s Secret store, Aoto remained the original owner, which made girls more drawn to him because he could create such seductive clothing for them. Aoto was a young man who was considered to be marriageable age. However, he had never before expressed any interest in these girls. Why, therefore, did Aoto seem to be drawn to this woman? He made a conscious effort to recall who this woman was, but he was unable to do so. Shikuro''s anxiety increased as he continued to think. Something obviously felt odd to him. "Shikuro, don''t do any foolish things here." Aoto forewarned. Though he was scared a bit since he was out of his safe circle but he had many people by his side like Shikuro and the Yamanaka chief. Plus, this was Konoha. There was nothing to fear up to and unless Nagato appeared in person. Konan being by himself out here meant that Nagato was in his own village, protected by the six paths. Aoto, however, was perplexed as to Konan''s presence at this particular time. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Is there anything wrong with her?" Shikuro prepared for action in an instant by lightly touching the kunai in his little bag. He was convinced by Aoto''s statements that she was obviously suspicious. "Not quite. Not now at least." Added Aoto. "Why do I feel like I have seen her somewhere but can''t remember? Is she a spy?" Shikuro mumbled as he struggled to remember where he had seen her, but he was sure he had. Aoto turned and looked at Shikuro. Surprised that he had said those words. It indicated that he was present and with Danzo when Yahiko passed away at the Hidden Rain village. "You saw her in the Hidden Rain village." When Aoto responded, he was honest with him. Shikuro tensed up at that point as memories began to flood in. He recalled how he had accompanied Danzo to the village of the Hidden Rain. He had recently served in the war and was still pretty young. There, for the first time in his life, he witnessed one of the horrors of the shinobi. He had witnessed how one man could take the lives of many others, and he was one of the fortunate men to live, along with Danzo. The woman who Hanzo had apprehended and threatened the man with afterwards caused chaos and left a lasting impression on the men who had survived that assault. He assumed that the man had eventually passed away because he was completely burned, but after seeing the woman here, he became less certain. But here was the question. How the fuck does Aoto know what he had seen in Hidden Rain village. At the time, he was only a newborn infant? What on earth was he? "How.. How.. do you know?" "Shikuro.. You are ignorant of a lot of things in the world. Survive now and maybe you will see the wonders the world has to offer." Aoto gave a cryptic response and then slowly stood up. He moved gently in Konan''s direction. Shikuro wanted to stop Aoto but ultimately decided against it. He had no idea what Aoto had meant by those words, but he made a vow to himself right then. He would protect Aoto in all walks of life and would like to see what this ''world'' Aoto was talking about. Aoto was finally standing next to Konan at this point. She was perplexed as to why Aoto had approached her and worried that perhaps her cover had been compromised, but when she saw Aoto''s cheerful face, she realized that he was probably there for another reason. "Can I help you?" Konan enquired. "Umm ma''am.. You are beautiful.. Can I buy you a drink?" Using techniques he had picked up in a prior life, Aoto spoke. In any case, he didn''t have much success with ladies, and it was quite unromantic. But he hoped he could succeed in this situation. Not to court Konan, but just to chat in general. "Buy me a drink?" Konan was confused as their society didn''t have such norms when a man courts a woman. It mostly starts with bring friends introduced by others. "Yeah.. It''s like I will buy you a drink so that I can get a chance to talk to you." Aoto said being upright and clear in his approach. "Want to talk to me? But I am just a chunin from the Hidden sand village, here on a mission for them." Konan replied as she showed him her headband and also making sure that he wasn''t a local here. It also indirectly meant, it was useless to pursue her. 78. This is a business deal After the Third Great Ninja War, Hidden Leaf and Hidden Sand were working to mend their connections, and started to occasionally conducted business between them. Konan had most likely entered under the guise of a real Sand merchant or shinobi based on that assumption. Since a desert needed to be crossed, a businessmen needed to be strong enough so the person definitely needed to be a shinobi. Even though the village possessed the greatest parcel of territory under its control, it suffered greatly because necessary roads and communication hadn''t yet been created. "It''s irrelevant. The waiter himself would serve the drink to you. You don''t need to assume that I spiked my food or something with poison." Aoto meekly responded and motioned for the server assisting them to bring a little glass of sake. Konan wasn''t exactly fearful of Aoto when she looked at him. They were roughly around the same age at that moment and being a shinobi who didn''t belong to the village would make herself more secure. It was on the basis that a village like Konoha who had just suffered an attack of Kyuubi wouldn''t want to start a war by killing someone from the Sand village at the moment. She blushed a little when Aoto was forthright and truthful about her concerns. Aoto was aware that the blush was only a facade and continued nevertheless. "I''m grateful. Never before have anyone contacted me in this manner. I am Konan." Konan seemed to take the hint and flirted back a little. From a distance, Shikuro was perplexed by what he was witnessing. Since he could remember a small portion of her face from the war, then how come she could get inside Konoha with no stops. She was a citizen of Hidden Rain, a nation whose borders had just recently been closed, not Hidden Sand village. Did the Root fail to make a check before entering the village? How could checks have been missed by such a large margin? "Hello, My name is Aoto. And I am a businessman." And why the hell was Aoto interested in her? Was he betraying Konoha? "So, presuming you''re here for business, what sort of industry do you work in?" Asked Aoto. "Uh.. That is a secret mission and is only for the eyes of the top levels of Konoha and Suna." Konan answered in a very unassuming manner. "Ah.. Sorry for the question. You see, I''m trying to work with Sunagakure on commercial potential. Therefore, I had to be certain that I was speaking with the right person." Aoto posed a direct question. Stolen story; please report. "You are. But what kind of business opportunities?" Konan was now taken aback. She wasn''t really interested when Aoto first approached her using this novel conversational strategy. However, now that he was talking about business, she heard him. Since Kakuzu hadn''t yet joined the Akatsuki, their nation and the organization was severely short on resources. They needed an income source and if there was any business opportunities with Konoha for the time being she would gladly accept. Of course she would have to use her influence to make sure the deal went to Hidden Rain and not Hidden Sand. "Yes. Thus, as you can see, I''m searching for a few unique goods that, in my opinion, only the Hidden Sand can produce..." As he displayed designs for a CPU, the processors and other electronic items, Aoto spoke. Konan was astounded to observe Aoto''s enthusiasm for these peculiar sketches. Aoto continued by describing what these items were and how much he needed them for his new creation. She had a general understanding of what Aoto desired, despite the fact that he didn''t grasp the terminology he was using. "So you want the Hidden Sand village to make some products that needs to be attached to a video screen, which will allow you to compute things faster than a human brain." "Yes, sometimes this is a convenience, but human brain is still faster and better than the thing I want to develop. But you are right. I do need small things that I call processors in order to make it and I feel like the Hidden sand village would definitely make those things." Added Aoto. After this, Konan switched to thinking mode. Even though she didn''t understand any of Aoto''s technical terminology, she had a strange feeling that Nagato might comprehend whatever Aoto was talking about. It was due to his Asura path, which was based on mechanical weapons and other technical matters that he appeared to be knowledgeable about. "Uh.. I don''t understand what you are saying but can I take the drawings with me in order to show it to my village?" It was extremely ludicrous that Aoto had approached her in the first place, and Konan knew it was probably outrageous because she could tell right away that it was some sort of confidential matter. "I apologize for that. Since it is crucial to our strategy, I am unable to provide you all the drawings; in fact, I have only showed the system''s processing portion. We still hold major things close to ourselves as it is of huge importance to us." Aoto shook his head, appearing disappointed that Konan couldn''t decide. "That''s okay. However, I will still need to speak with the village''s leaders at Hidden Sand. Then I can respond to you with a specific response." said Konan. "That''s alright. I''m ready to wait. Konoha will be able to create enough for itself, but I also want to sell it outside of Konoha to make some money, and as you can see, Konoha is heavily invested in this." Aoto even gave his excuse of refusing to share all the drawings and intricacies of the system. "You don''t have to explain. I''m aware of this already. It is already very fortunate that you approached someone outside of Konoha in order to share such an important thing. Sunagakure will make every effort to work together. I promise you that." 79. Who are the enemies? Konan getting the green signal talked with Aoto more in order to understand him a bit better. Though he had initially approached her to flirt, it soon became clear that, having seen her leave from another village, his true intentions were to do business. "Honestly, I didn''t see that you came from Hidden Sand, otherwise I would have approached you directly on business deal. I apologize for it." "No.. I have never seen somebody approach me in such a unique manner. It was a new experience. Hehe, people should employ this technique more frequently when approaching women." "I''m happy you liked it," Added Aoto. Inoichi and the others approached Aoto and Konan, who were engaged in conversation, once Inoichi had become sufficiently sober to stand up a little. "Yo.. You got yourself a beautiful chick." said Inoichi. Whether or not this embarrassed Aoto was of little concern to him. Konan blushed a little while Aoto seemed to feel like he was ready to hide his head under the ground in shame. "Inoicho-san.. Please refrain from making things worse. We are only talking about some business deals." "Business deals.. Hick.. Sorry.. What kind of deals?" Inoichi questioned, although his eyes were somewhat red and heavy. He always looked to be on the verge of losing his balance. "It''s all right, Inoichi-san. Why don''t you go home today and we will talk about this later." Aoto told Inoichi and turned to Konan and said "I am extremally sorry for their behavior. They are my coworkers on the project we just discussed." Aoto introduced them roughly. "And this is Shikuro.. He is my bodyguard. You see I am not a ninja and never graduated from academy so the Hokage felt like I needed some kind of protection." Added Aoto. She was unaware of his identification as genin because he didn''t carry a headband as the others usually do. Konan nodded because she didn''t see a headband either. It was reasonable that Aoto would have some sort of security because he was too precious to not have one. Due to this, Konan developed a greater regard for Aoto and increased his motivation to seal the deal. The Hokage would never appoint a bodyguard on someone who was of no consequence. Additionally, she could see that Shikuro didn''t have a favorable impression of her, which was logical given that she was from outside of Konoha and that Aoto was actively attempting to forge a commercial relationship that would benefit a different village. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Since the Third Great Ninja War just concluded, such prejudices were prevalent. And the fact that someone from the Hidden Sand community had even been permitted to enter was already a miracle. "Pardon me. I will have to take them to their homes or their wives would come after me for stealing their husbands and the husbands will think I have kidnapped their wives.. Hahahaha.." "Hehehe.. Don''t worry about it. I already have the address to your shop so I will visit when I get the permissions from my village." Konan grinned. Aoto bowed, bid her good night, and then hauled Inoichi outside by the shoulder. "Hey.. Where is the girl we saw earlier? Eh? Why are we leaving now? Hick.. I can drink more." said Inochi. "Yes.. Yes... We are going out to drink more." When Aoto saw these men, he was a little perplexed. They were supposed to be all cool and serious from what he could remember, but he was seeing Fugaku and now even Inoichi have a side which was contrary to what he knew. Maybe raising kids transformed them and eventually gave them a more "daddy" vibe. As they made their way to Konoha via the streets, Shikuro was taking care of the others. The others were blabbering from their mouth as they delivered them to their homes. Since there weren''t many to begin with, it only took around 30 minutes to deliver everyone to their homes, with Inoichi being the last. Thankfully there were John and Arya to help them. ''I need to bring cars and crude oil or else I will die with the problems here'' Aoto thought as he prayed that the system would allow him to bring petrol and let him sell it. A train, which was depicted in the Boruto and Naruto movies, was predicted to exist in the future. Aoto questioned whether coal or gasoline served as the fuel. They returned to the shop after finishing. Only Aoto and Shikuro didn''t consume much alcohol during the entire celebration, so they were fine. Shikuro was eerily silent throughout the entire ordeal, and Aoto could sense that Shikuro was desperate to understand what was happening. "You have questions. Ask away." As he poured himself some tea, Aoto spoke. Tea was a good cure for their feeling of being inebriated, which they needed to get rid of. "Why are you dealing with the enemies of Konoha?" Shikuro questioned, believing Aoto to be betraying Konoha. He was interested in how Aoto learned about the incident in Hidden Rain Village, but he could wait to ask that. "Enemies? Konoha was the one who initially attacked them. Ambushed an organization who just wanted to negotiate peace. And you''re going to call them your enemies?" Asked Aoto. Shikuro then realized that Konoha was the one who had originally been in the wrong. They had assaulted the recently founded Akatsuki organization as a result of Danzo. "Konoha has fought battles with a number of nations, and we are now establishing contacts with them in the hopes of establishing peace. There has almost never been eternal friends, it is just benefits. That''s what most of humanity understood until they face a threat that could just wipe them out." ''Wipe out humanity? Is there any such threat?'' Shikuro was unable to think of or visualize a scenario in which humanity would vanish from the face of the planet. Not yet, at least. "I can''t change the fact with what had happened but she is an enemy of Konoha at the moment, and you seem to know whatever happened before. So why are you calling the tiger into your home since they don''t look at you in a good way." 80. Hardware and software "It appears like you people are completely brainless. Because of the lengthy history of bloodshed in this area, only politics and war are understood. Have you ever considered the possibility of winning a war of a different kind without lifting a finger?" Asked Aoto. "What?" Shikuro was baffled by Aoto''s meaning. He was talking as if there could be another kind of war. He had only experienced bloodshed-filled wars during his entire existence. War can be won by politics, but persistent carnage was required. "Let''s use the business deal I''m trying to make as an example. Who do you believe will gain more if we create a successful trade route?" Asked Aoto. "Uh.. The Hidden Rain village..." Shikuro replied. "Are you dumb or what? Jeez.. We are working in a shop. Who do you believe gains from our sales?" Asked Aoto. "Uh.. They receive the items, while we receive the funds. So I guess we both benefit from this." Shikuro responded after giving it some thought. "Correct. Who will profit if we strike a deal with Konan?" Aoto asked again. "Both of us?!" Shikuro responded after fully comprehending everything. "Correct. And that is the reason we need to make deal with them because both of us will benefit." Aoto responded, happy to have understood the message quickly. "But they are enemies. They will come back to bite us. We could have done the same business deal with some other village who will not betray us." "Shikuro, every village might potentially pose a threat to Konoha as a whole. Not just them, either. Even Hidden Sand which has suffered a lot in the war can be deadly to us." Aoto remarked that he was unconcerned at all by Konan''s animosity. "So you are banking on the fact that the Hidden Rain or whatever organization she is representing will do nothing to us because the benefits will be high enough?" Shikuro reasoned and at last understood why Aoto was so determined to strike a settlement with the adversaries. "Seems like you have some brains." As Shikuro finally understood it, Aoto grinned. "Then why her? She is a direct enemy and not make deal with the higher ups of Hidden Rain or other villages who can offer the same services that you want? She even impersonated someone from Hidden Sand. That already is a falsehood." If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "Their village, no, her friend knows more about machinery than I do, which is why I went to her instead of going after various villages. Her friend can help me establish industries and supply chains that can help me sell what I want across the world and also benefit Konoha with lots of money." Added Aoto. Shikuro was shocked by this. He had no idea that Aoto was even familiar with Konan''s friend or their area of specialty. How in the world does he know this stuff? What was he? "Do you have some kind of intelligence network that I don''t know about?" Only through careful consideration was Shikuro able to reach this conclusion. "Hahaha.. As I previously stated, you have a lot to learn and know. Don''t worry about it. If the commercial transaction is successful, Konoha and the entire world will change, and perhaps there will be fewer wars and conflicts as a result." Added Aoto. "Uhh... You have so much confidence on this computer thing?" Shikuro had been with him for a while and, thanks to Inoichi and others, was made aware of his newest creation. He didn''t have much faith in it, but Aoto seemed overly thrilled about it. It was truly strange when he spoke as though he had seen the world overrun with computers. "You''ll find out soon," Aoto grinned as he made his bed and shooed Shikuro out of the way so he could tend to his toddler. Shikuro wanted to know more but Aoto wouldn''t speak anything more about how he came to know of what had happened in the Hidden Rain village.
Everyone started working the following morning to make this computer idea a reality. Now that they had the money, they should get to work. Since there were no supply chains or industries, they had to manufacture this manually, which took a lot of time, but Aoto and the cryptology department were enthusiastic about the initiative. The following few days saw them working incredibly hard, and Aoto almost didn''t have time to visit his bakery at all. It was advantageous that he had several subordinates and could devote his efforts to the computer manufacturing process. It took more than three months to complete the process, and now it was time to view the results. Even though video technology has improved significantly, outdated CRT tube screens were still in use. However, Aoto didn''t mind. As soon as computers are used, technology will evolve rapidly. Maybe once Naruto enrolls at the academy, he won''t have to go out and try to have fun; he can play video games at home. The first CPU was created and then sent to the cryptology division. The people put in a lot of effort over the last few months to make this. Aoto was good in software and not hardware, so he could only give very vague expertise when the processors, motherboards, the hard drives, the fan and other components were made. The department of cryptology was largely responsible for the preliminary work. Aoto was therefore even more appreciative of them. And in order to make the first inauguration, the whole cryptology department, Aoto and his band and the Hokage had shown up. Aoto had been chirping about it rather frequently when he went to KFC to have some of his favorite chicken popcorn, so the Hokage, who had funded this, also wanted to see how useful this "computer" was. "Aoto, you previously claimed to already have the ''software'' necessary to make the system function. Do you really have it?" "Of course." Aoto said as he brought out a bunch of CDs. And on top of the bunch it was written Windows 98. "Windows 98? What a weird name. What does 98 mean?" 81. Good work, now off with the internet "It means I was able to make it after I faltered for the 98th time." Aoto made up an excuse and also made sure that people knew that he had worked, instead of just advising people. Although he was certain that the department''s staff thought he was a genius, there was still required evidence of his hard labor. Thus these CDs were his hail mary in front of the cryptology department and the Hokage. He was fortunate that CD technology existed at the time since he would have had to request the creation of this technology once more. Since CD technology already existed, he refrained from asking to create floppy disk-related technology because that would be stupid. For now, a CD will do, however perhaps someone will develop USB technology later. He quickly put the CD in the drive and waited for the computer to start up. He hoped that these individuals were able to create a functional processor for the time being. Thankfully, after some shirling noises from the CPU fans, it booted up and the command prompt appeared on his screen. He installed the operating system by following the steps. "Aoto, where did you make this software?" Others questioned how Aoto could create software when he didn''t already have a computer or similar equipment. Aoto looked at Hokage as if he should answer this question. In regards to why Aoto was staring at him, Hiruzen was perplexed as well. Then he understood what Aoto was alluding to. "Cough.. Before requesting that the department create a system, Aoto already had one of his own. Yes, that is it." Hiruzen spoken. Additionally, it sounded like a lie from the way Hiruzen spoke. Inoichi in particular was certain that the Hokage had been lying through his teeth and hadn''t known anything beforehand, but he remained silent. It was best if he didn''t pry because the Hokage and Aoto wished to keep anything a secret. A village like their always had some secrets and such kind of secrets weren''t exactly harmful for them. Knowing too much wasn''t always good. Ignorance was bliss. Since the Hokage spoke for himself and Aoto, the other department members didn''t ask any further questions. Because Hiruzen believed Aoto could control his yin and yang chakra and create a single system at home, he made up that lie. If Aoto was able to combine chakra in such a way that he could create such complicated items, he must have been working extremely hard on his control. He had quietly checked on Aoto and saw that his chakra reserve had hardly increased. How he managed to create such things with such a meager supply was still a mystery. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. However, he was at least honing his ninjutsu, which was encouraging. The operating system finally loaded, and everyone was able to see the desktop screen for the first time after waiting for approximately 30 minutes. It featured a distinct visual style on its desktop screen. The default wallpaper depicted a serene green field with a blue sky, while the icons had a simple, flat design. The taskbar, located at the bottom, showcased the Start button on the left and open program windows and system tray icons on the right. "This is the desktop screen and the reason why I needed a pointer type hardware is because of this." As he maneuvered the robotic mouse around, Aoto spoke. Suffice to say others in the room were impressed seeing the Windows 98 for the first time. Though for Aoto''s taste it was too bland but living here for sometime had made him jump in joy seeing this old aged Windows 98 itself. Aoto clicked the Start button and it revealed a cascading vertical Start Menu with program lists and system settings. Windows appeared as rectangular frames with title bars displaying program names and three buttons for minimizing, maximizing/restoring, and closing. The color scheme comprised blue and gray tones, with blue borders and a darker shade for active windows. The default font, Tahoma, was used throughout, providing a clean and legible appearance. Overall, the Windows 98 desktop screen boasted a recognizable interface with its iconic icons, taskbar, windows, and a harmonious blend of colors and fonts. "This is incredible. It moves quickly and smoothly." One of the participants praised what she had seen. She was truly impressed and understood its allure. She wasn''t merely complimenting Aoto. "This is just the operating system. We will need to make softwares if we want to connect or use computer for bigger and better things and this is the boom for it." As he pulled out a book on language acquisition, including C, JAVA, and other foundational languages on which one might create software, Aoto added. "Aoto-kun.. You have written books on this too?" Aoto was instructed by another employee of the department to set the books on the table as he pulled them out of his backpack. "Of course, yes. For the department it''s free , but for others who wants to learn it, one has to pay." Added Aoto. Fortunately, the system had provided a number of books about Windows 98 and how to link numerous machines together using servers. Since everyone in the department was eager to learn, they all started reading the books right away. But as they read more, the blood from their faces began to dry up. As they read, it appeared as though someone was sucking the life out of them. When Hiruzen saw these young guys on the point of tears, he quavered in his knees and resolved never to read another of Aoto''s pieces again. If young men and women suffered after reading these books, he would probably die. As Aoto demonstrated the built-in software that would enable this computer to link with other computers, he expressed his satisfaction with the work and received the assurance that the technology to connect the computers would arrive shortly. "I recognize its potential. With it, we can communicate more quickly with one another and improve Konoha''s security while simultaneously improving people''s lives." Hiruzen could now understand why Aoto was so obsessed with this technology. 82. Cut his limb The Hokage''s satisfaction with the work caused everyone to smile broadly. Normally, the cryptology department was always in charge of deciphering, and this branch was mostly in charge of interpreting secret messages, torturing someone for additional information, or other tasks that had no bearing on anyone''s daily lives. The people in this department, which were extremely covert and only active during times of war, felt for the first time that they could contribute to Konoha and perhaps even profit from it. "Then we can start making new ones and connect them as fast as possible." Hokage said as he anticipated having less job to do and more leisure time. "Of course, Hokage-sama." The people around knew that this was just the start and the real hard process would start now. Aoto exited with the Hokage and they had a stroll together to their residences after exploring the operating system and acquiring a general understanding of how it operated. "You have worked very hard, Aoto." Hiruzen spoken. "It''s nothing. I just gave ideas and they worked out perfectly for them." Added Aoto. "No, you don''t realize how you have been changing Konoha. The hospital, which will shortly be built, came first, and now these so-called computers. Konoha is very lucky to have you. Sad that your expertise isn''t on ninjutsu or other such techniques. "It''s okay. I''m content if I can make a difference in other ways." Added Aoto. Although Hiruzen still harbored some regret, he decided not to act on it as they returned in silence. Since he was dressed normally, people could recognize him and salute him. Hirzuzen not being regarded like a major celebrity and being able to move about normally made Aoto happy. Though people might recognize him but that didn''t mean that the people would worship him as some kind of God. Aoto liked living here because of this, among other things. There were enormous statues of well-known and influential people, but there wasn''t a strong sense of adoration for them. Maybe their lore and their feats wasn''t as magnified like his previous life and not worshiped hence. Regardless, he enjoyed this particular culture in this place. "Hokage-sama, do you hold death row prisoners in your prisoners?" After a prolonged period of stillness, Aoot abruptly questioned. "Huh!?" The hokage who had just welcomed a little child while traveling. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "Yes the prisoners who you think will be put to death. Have you got them?" Aoto re-asked. "We do have some from other villages. Why are you asking?" Hiruzen couldn''t understand why Aoto had no interest in convicts. "Bring one of them over to my house tonight. I''ll demonstrate something fascinating for you." Aoto spoke while flashing a mysterious smile. Hiruzen immediately knew what he was getting it and asked. "Is it some kind of cruel experiment?" He felt a little uneasy as he considered the inhumane experiments. He could still clearly recall going to Orochimaru''s lab to capture him. It was covered in blood, had bodies with limbs severed from them, and was full of dead bodies, including small children. (The gory part was there in the manga, but it was never shown in the anime) "No.. No.. It''s going to save the lives of people during troubled times." He was reassured by Aoto. "I''ll be there after dark." Hiruzen was confused about why he wanted a prisoner that was supposed to put to death but he had faith in Aoto since he had said so. Truth be told, the marijuana and the chicken had already won his heart all this time, and he had never let him down. Now he was a regular buyer of the weed and love to inhale one before he went to sleep. However, Aoto was quite rigorous about how much weed he could have, only allowing him two or three times each week. Aoto was subject to this restriction for his own good, Hiruzen also understood. They separated on their ways as they went to their own places later. Later that night. Aoto had urged his roommates to go to sleep and was now eagerly awaiting Hiruzen''s arrival while waiting for him on the roof. Since everything was in order and he was in Konoha secure, there was really no point in making them wait for him. Hiruzen finally arrived while smoking his pipe after a 30-minute wait in the full moon night and the sound of insects chirping all about. It wasn''t just him. Two more people were with him. Kakashi himself was one of them, while the other was a ninja who appeared to be restrained by strong iron chains around his hands, feet, and his neck. He appeared to be someone who was through some sort of slave trade. His lower body is covered in loose-fitting black slacks that taper at the ankles, while his upper body is covered in a dark blue flak jacket. On his forehead, he was sporting a headband marked with a stylised cloud. But there was a cut above the cloud. It indicated that he was from the Hidden Cloud Village, or Kumogakure no Sato. The rough edge on the line indicated that the cut was made by hand kunai. This demonstrated that the ninja was a rogue and had left the town. Kakashi-san: "Oh. It''s been a while. Aoto replied after casting a quick glimpse at the brought-in man. As he was restrained and transported to this location, he didn''t appear to be showing many emotions on his face. "Ah..Aoto.. It has been a while. How are you?" He and Kakashi exchanged the customary greetings. Aoto pulled a vial out of his pocket after engaging in some light chat. "What is it?" Hokage, who had been remaining mute while they both talked and ignored him, finally spoke up. "My latest and limited invention." Added Aoto. "What does it do?" Kakashi had already known of the various weird things that Aoto was sold and he himself benefited a lot from it. "You will know soon. In order to show you, you will have cut one limb from this guy." 83. Dont think of money "What?" "Kid, are you serious? Do you even know who I am?" "Aoto." All three of them, including the brought-in prisoner, shouted out in astonishment. He felt both fear and rage. This kid, who didn''t even wear a headband, had the nerve to order a shinobi to amputate his limb. He was a jonin. "Aoto, are you sure you understand what you''re saying?" Hiruzen enquired. Not because he harbored any sympathy for the man they had apprehended. After all special jonins were sent after him as part of a S class mission, the culprit was apprehended. Following the Kyubi invasion, Kakashi recently finished one of his assignments. The Hidden Cloud village wanted him dead because he held crucial information about their village, while the S class goal was to capture him alive since he had defected from their village and because, as a jonin, he might hold critical information about their village. Although it was difficult, Kakashi had led the crew, including Shisui and Guy, to capture him. The ripple effects of Aoto''s engagement had already begun, and this was only one of them. Hiruzen was upset because he believed he was heading in the direction of Orochimaru. He was opposed to that. And Kakashi was a little surprised and that was all. He was aware that Aoto has handled several dead bodies, so cutting off a limb shouldn''t be too terrifying for him. "Hokage-sama, believe me, it''s for the best." Aoto said to Hiruzen. Hokage gave Aoto a thoughtful look before nodding. The prisoner was trembling in his knees as Kakashi came behind him and released some of the seals that had been put on the prisoner. Of course the prisoner was under some seals so that he didn''t escape and the chains on his hand and feet were just for show for a large part. One of the prisoner''s hands that had been stiff the entire time was able to move a little after Kakashi made some hand gestures that nearly made Aoto dizzy, but it didn''t move for very long because Kakashi didn''t even allow the prisoner time to talk. He pulled out a little sword and struck him on the shoulder. "Ahhhh...." The prisoner screamed in agony, but for some reason the sound did not pass through the roof. His shoulder erupted in blood as the severed arm crashed to the ground. His face quickly became pale as the blood began to drain since he was losing blood quickly. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. He was likewise enraged, but he did not express a need for healing or salvation. He appeared to be a difficult case to solve. Aoto didn''t waste a more second and went to make this prisoner drink the potion from the vial. The inmate wanted to vomit it. However, Kakashi threw him a backhand smack to the chin to prevent him from doing so, forcing him to gulp down the vial. He initially believed the potion to be some sort of poison and held his neck with one hand as he nearly suffocated. Even though his other hand was still bleeding, he appeared to have overcome the pain and was now more focused on the "poison" he had just consumed. Aoto was still taken aback by it. A typical person would have either passed out or cried out in agony for a longer period of time. These shinobis are actually more pain-tolerant. No wonder Obito was alive for such a long time. Compared to a typical human, these folks experience pain much less. On it, he could wager. It was already too late for the man to cough it out. But then a miracle happened. A speed that could be seen with the unaided eye was apparent in the lost hand that had been bleeding out of thin air. The regrowth was evident even during the night when there was only the light from the streets and the moon high in the sky. Even the Hidden cloud ninja had trouble believing what he was seeing, let alone Hiruzen and Kakashi. Due to their devoted department and use of various techniques to induce covert vomiting, Konoha acquired a reputation for adopting bizarre torture techniques. He therefore believed that this was a fresh and inventive approach to torture him when he was transported to Aoto for the experiment. But after seeing his hand grow once more, he no longer believed it. He mistook it for genjutsu. "Hahahaa.. Nice genjutsu kid.. If I was out of the seal I would have shown how genjutsus like these could be avoided." The man spoke, but his words sounded irrational and were accompanied by maniacal laughing. Naturally, Hiruzen and Kakashi were more focused on what had happened to his hand than they were on what he had to say. This was unheard of. They had never witnessed anything like it. "Aoto, do you have any more of those?" Hiruzen abruptly questioned. When he asked, there was a tiny tremor in his voice. "Yes, but not many." Added Aoto. Then, unexpectedly, Hiruzen did something that Aoto and Kakashi didn''t anticipate. Hiruzen pulled out his shuriken, affixed wind release chakra to it, and tossed it at the man who was now laughing maniacally. He didn''t even notice that the Hokage had thrown a shuriken. The prisoner''s legs were quickly severed by the shuriken which had grown bigger in size as it flew and it moved quickly. In the next instant, the laughing man changed into a "no standing" man as he stumbled and landed on his own pool of blood that he had lost when he lost his arm. He screamed in agony. "Hokage-sama!!" Kakashi wasn''t even able to process that the man had just grown back an arm that had been lost, and now he was seeing the man lose his legs. Aoto was astounded by Hiruzen''s behavior as he turned to face the Hokage as well. "Hokage-sama. This vial is costly." Reminding him that the vial would be expensive, Aoto said. "Konoha is ready to pay any price. Just administer the medication." Upon hearing this, Aoto sighed. It was understandable why Konoha was sought after in each conflict. This village had much too much wealth. 84. You are too humble Aoto threw the vial to Kakashi. Kakashi had already got the cue of what he was required to do. The individual was given the potion once more and forced to drink it. The man who was in pain again didn''t both stopping Kakashi as he had already convinced himself that it was all a genjutsu because no potion could be that miraculous and that too coming from a teenager who had a baby type face. Again, by some miracle, the legs grew. Kakashi tried to get the man to stand on his own by pulling him up. The inmate saw no issue with doing so. He was compelled to take a few steps by Kakashi. Since he could again walk correctly, the prisoner was more certain that it was a genjutsu. "Kakashi.. Kill him." As he said this, Hiruzen had an icy gaze in his eyes. He now understood Aoto''s request for a prisoner on death row. This was a secret that should never have been shared outside of the community. He was glad that Aoto had asked for a prisoner which Konoha could get rid of without any problems. Without even pausing for a second, Kakashi inserted a kunai at the prisoner''s neck. It was at that moment the prisoner realized that everything that had happened was real. Sadly it only lasted a few seconds. His arm and legs truly were amputated and then, astonishingly, regrew. He was also assassinated because Konoha need a test subject because he was likely the first experiment. Before he died, his only thought was if the potion was able to be administered to the ninjas of Konoha, then the fate of the other villages were sealed. Though he had defected from the Hidden Cloud village, he still had his heart with his homeland and he felt pity and fear for his village. They had already lost. Kakashi and Hiruzen, meanwhile, finally inhaled deeply. This was game changing factor. "What can the potion exactly do." "It was capable of treating both interior and exterior wounds. But of course only physical wounds and not wounds that has something to do with souls as well as seals. Seals can''t be broken with the potion so its not as revolutionary as you think." "Only physical wounds and you are saying its not revolutionary? Aoto, I believe you hold yourself to an unreasonable standard." said Kakashi. Hiruzen also gave a head nod. "This potion can''t be given to regular people since its too difficult to make and so it means it could only be given to those high level shinobis and most physical attacks couldn''t do much to them. Genjutsus and other sealing type attacks are mostly used in those cases." Aoto provided his own assessment. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "You are mistaken," Hiruzen wasn''t the one who responded; it was Kakashi. "Wrong? How?" Asked Aoto. "You think those jutsus grow on some trees? Let''s discuss genjutsus. There are relatively few people who can use it to damage high level shinobi, and this is especially true in Konoha, which has the best genjutsu level users. Let''s not even bring up attacks using the sealing technique. Seals are usually employed to restrain someone after taking them down, and there are very few people alive today who could truly harm shinobi with them in a fierce combat." Hiruzen spoken. "I still can''t make them in larger quantities." Added Aoto. He already knew that his potion was legendary and he was only trying to be humble. The Uchihas were the best practitioners of genjutsu, and those adept at sealing had already perished. The Uzumaki clan. The shinobis appeared to have a perfect propensity for erasing their own past over time simply out of a fear of the powerful. This world had no regard for things that actually mattered in the long run and was busy destroying things. "Aoto, what negative effects does the drug have have?" Hiruzen enquired because he was relieved that Aoto was aware of his groundbreaking idea. He genuinely considered paying the man a large quantity of money to inquire about the manufacturing process, but he restrained himself. He would be questioned in bad faith if he did that. Aoto was already providing Konoha with a lot of things and he wanted him to continue. He didn''t want to lose the faith of this teenager who is showing to be a miracle out of nowhere just for some short-term gains. "As far as I''m aware, there are no side effects." Added Aoto. "What?" "Are you serious?" "I meant to emphasize that this was my first experiment, and when I created the potion, I believed there shouldn''t be any negative side effects. You can look for any remains of the deceased person." Added Aoto. The two began to relax a little as a result. Such a crazy remedy had to have some unintended consequences. The remedy would be tested before the side effects were discovered. "How many do you currently have?" Hiruzen enquired. Whatever its magnitude, he was willing to invest money in it. "I have around 150 of these vials with me. However, that is the entire stock. If I sell everything, I won''t have anything left, and getting more will take a long time." Aoto said while being as innocent and sound truthful. Of course, if there was enough money, he could sell thousands of these. "For all the vials, Konoha will pay 20 million ryo. You can begin creating new ones." Hiruzen spoke. "Hokage-sama!" Hearing the details, Kakashi''s heart skipped a beat. "Kakashi many people had died in recent times and Konoha isn''t ready to lose some more. This potion will only be given to those who can be trusted because it is so crucial. Konoha will make sure that the potions will be in stock for war purposes and only be given to few of high level shinobis who are too important for Konoha. Only if in the future, Aoto is able to make more, it will be distributed to the lower levels after they could fulfil certain conditions. This item is far too significant to ever fall into the wrong hands." 85. Blue Spider Lily Hiruzen was forthright about his plans for the potion, but he never said that he would hire someone to create a copy of it. Although Aoto was aware that Hiruzen would undoubtedly hire individuals to conduct research on it, it didn''t really matter to him. He wouldn''t be able to recreate his work anyways. "Aoto, how in the world did you even create such a thing?" Kakashi was curious about how he even created this and wanted to know. "Well, there is one flower known as the blue spider lily. The potion''s key component is the blue spider lily. Only two or three days a year, the flower blooms throughout the day. Then it shuts up and resembles a massive horsetail weed. Additionally, it can bloom very rarely or never at all depending on the climate. As soon as I noticed that it was mentioned in my father''s notes, I started doing research on it. From what I could tell that though the flower has incredible healing properties, it can also make things go wrong. It has the power to transform a human into a vampire." Added Aoto. Even though it was all nonsense, he needed to invent one tale to convey his point. And this story of blue spider lily was the most appropriate one as it turned that guy into immortal Michael Jackson . "What exactly is a vampire?" Hearing the word vampire confused both Kakashi and Hiruzen. The legend of the vampire and werewolf didn''t exist in this world. Maybe he should introduce this lore and earn some money from it. Entertainment was very bleak here. "Uhh... A vampire is a creature that can consume human blood for feeding and cannot be exposed to sunlight for fear of dying, but in exchange, they gain immortality and superhuman physical abilities." Vampires were briefly explained by Aoto. Hiruzen and Kakashi both shivered at the description. Both of them would prefer to live a regular life than spend the remainder of their eternal lives in hiding and feed on human blood. While immortality was a major lure, the issue of sucking blood and being unable to see sunlight was a huge negative. "So doesn''t consuming the medicine change a person and make him or her this so called vampire?" "No. I have done as much study as I can on the flower, and using other substances has solved that issue. You can use it and check to see if anyone experiences any negative side effects." Aoto didn''t care at all if they checked for side effects. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Although Hiruzen had faith in Aoto''s assertions, he still needed to check it out before stocking up. He ultimately chose to purchase 20 vials. He committed to handing up the cash the following morning. Naturally, Aoto trusted him. Both of them departed after finalizing the agreement and cleaning the roof. Aoto''s face was beaming broadly. Finally he could see the light at the end of the tunnel and he couldn''t wait to see what kind of power he would get once his shop gets updated.
The next day at afternoon, Hiruzen himself showed up and anyone seeing this old man could tell that he was beaming with joy and was very happy. The two briefcases that he was carrying let Aoto know that he had arrived with the 20 million ryo. He was summoned to Aoto''s house. This was the first time Aoto had allowed someone inside his home other than his summons, Teuchi and Ayame. Aoto was gracious enough to offer Hiruzen some tea as a gracious host. Aoto hadn''t always been a good host when they''d met, but this time he had to be because the guest had brought so much cash. "Have you examined the potion?" As he poured him a cup of tea, Aoto questioned. "Yes.. It is astonishing, and according to the medical professionals, there are now no adverse effects." Hiruzen spoke. A little bit of pride filled Aoto''s smile. Even if the system did the work, in the end, the power and ownership of the system belonged to him. "Thank you, Aoto." He enthusiastically bowed down and expressed gratitude to Hiruzen. Aoto didn''t expect that and a part of him wanted him to stop doing that but he felt it would be disrespectful to Hiruzen. All he could say was. "No.. no.. I''m doing this for Konoha''s benefit and, hopefully, fewer deaths on the battlefield and in future missions." "It will.. Konoha will benefit so greatly from it that we won''t fear anyone else anymore." Hiruzen mentioned that while grinning enthusiastically. "But Hokage-sama, I hope the potions can only be used for good and not for the dark things in Konoha." Suddenly stiffening his face, Aoto remarked. "Dark things?" Hiruzen didn''t understand. "Every nation has its dark side. If I expect a village or a nation to be perfect that would be stupid. Because a village can''t survive if someone didn''t do the dirty work. But I don''t want my potion to be used by them. I know that even if you do it, I won''t know and I don''t have the power to stop you. But this is the least I can ask for." Added Aoto. It was highly inappropriate of him to ask the Hokage of such a blatant condition but he still wanted to do so. Danzo had pursued him, and he didn''t want the man to be able to sleep well if at all possible. Hiruzen recognized the meaning behind his words. Hiruzen was sure that he had come across Danzo since Shikuro was following around him like a puppy as his spy passed him information but he also made sure that Danzo never bothered him. "I swear the potion will only be applied to those who deserve it. No one else will have the authority to distribute it; only the Hokage. And even if I leave office, this law will still be in effect." Actually, before he arrived, Hiruzen had already passed that law and had the same ideas regarding this potion. 86. I dont want to embarrass myself When Hiruzen said that, Aoto''s face broke into a wide smile. There was a reason why Aoto was actively trying to insert himself into the politics and management of the village. He hated it but there was nothing he could do at the moment since he didn''t have enough power and people that could hurt him held too much power. Let''s not even take Danzo for a moment. Orochimaru, Nagato, Obito, Madara.... The adversary would merely keep growing bigger and more powerful. Politics wouldn''t necessarily give him the strength to take on some of the worst foes, but it would help him bring the disparate villages together. He needed to start getting ready for the Fourth Great Ninja War right away. He began with his business. If possible, he planned to establish his company in every village, which would help link the settlements together. People frequently overlook the crucial role that business plays in effective interpersonal communication. And business with other villages would only be possible if he had some say in political situation. Of course at the end, it was still about power and that was the reason he was actively trying to upgrade his shop so that he could see if the knowledge he gets is enough to save him. As he brought back two enormous cases of vials for the Hokage to take them away, Hiruzen continued his conversation with Aoto. For this small delivery, he didn''t bring any Anbu. It demonstrated how jealously he guarded this. In actuality, he claimed, he kept the existence of these vials a secret from everyone and only yesterday''s follower Kakashi was aware of them. And of course the people who were checking the vials. Naturally, Aoto didn''t tell him that Danzo had also learned about the vials, but he had chosen to keep quiet because his life right now was more important. After the small talk, Hiruzen left. "System, how many more items must I sell before I receive the update?" [ Palicos - 15 Viagra - 100 Windows 98 - 99 These are the numbers that the host is lacking in his sales before he can get the next update. ] "Shit, I had almost forgotten about this ill fated thing. Where even do I begin? Wait.. Doesn''t Fugaku owe me a favor.. System can my customers resell my stuffs?" Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. [ A consumer is permitted to resale the products brought by the host, provided the item is not some sort of prohibited item. ] "Yessss.. Now I can save myself the embarrassment." Aoto pondered. Proper favors could be finally paid off. Of course, he would need to bargain a little, but fortunately, he has a young man at his place who can assist him. The world of Game of Thrones are more open to sex than this world so he shouldn''t have problems with talking about this with Fugaku. He was still a teenager, so discussing these issues wasn''t in his best interests. However, sales of Palicos had recently been a little slow, possibly because they were expensive and few people could afford them, but that was okay. He was prepared to hold out. Aoto called John later that evening and began chatting about the Viagra. Aoto felt incredibly uncomfortable talking about Viagra but since he was alone with John at the end he was able to explain what this was and John had a hard time believing that such thing could even exist in medicine. "Are you joking, my friend?" With his amazing deep and northern accent, John questioned. Aoto said while rolling his eyes. "Does this strike you as a joke?" As he pulled out the small batch of medication and placed it in front of John, Aoto questioned. Over the course of his stay here, John had seen him bring out several items, but this type of medicine was new to him. It was practically on par with Victoria Secret merchandise. Arya used to detest selling these items, but as time went by, she came to understand that only women visited and there was very little demand for them. This gave her some alone time to practice swordplay by herself and win points from his brother. She was content with her current job because it gave her the opportunity to connect primarily with women. People who made purchases here frequently return to make additional purchases. "And you want me to discuss it with Fugaku? And aid us in selling it?" John enquired. Aoto said while giving a head nod. "Well.. You know.. Umm.. I am just a teenager and it will be incredibly inappropriate for me to talk about it to someone." Added Aoto. "But you do realize that even if I take this to him, he will understand that it was you who made this medicine." John spoke in a monotone voice. He could see why Aoto was being cautious, but in the end, Fugaku would still be able to establish that Aoto was the one who had invented the medication because he was the one who had brought the medical texts to Konoha. Aoto tensed up because he didn''t consider that angle. He didn''t want to discuss it with a grown man, was all he could think. Though the age of consent was fairly less but the topic of sex was a little repressed and not as open as his previous world. "Uhh.. Well, it''s alright even if he is aware that I invented the medication. Simply take it with Fugaku and ask him to assist us in selling it. Additionally, inform him that his two Palicos are prepared and that he needs to come and purchase them." Added Aoto. "Sigh! You need to find another man soon to do your job. We will be running out of people if this goes on." John said as he took the medicine and kept at the side. He had time to travel outside of Konoha and speak with Fugaku the following day because it was a holiday. Aoto prayed that everything would go good in this deal as he talked about the price of the medicine. 87. Profits my friend, Profits John left in the afternoon of the following day to speak with Fugaku. Though he didn''t fear anyone but living in this world made him cautious and he didn''t want to piss anyone off. He didn''t want to go back to losing this wonderful life he was living. This world was beautiful and luxurious. If he lost it, he would never again discover a place like that. The Uchiha family lived somewhat apart from the rest of Konoha. John was taken aback by how well-organized the clan structures appeared as he approached them for the first time. Even after Konoha deserted the Uchiha clan, their spirits and beauty were unaffected. John had experienced politics firsthand. His father, relatives, and the queen he believed to be the one. He believed that politics corrupted people, which was another reason he objected to Aoto''s involvement in politics. He wanted to stop his new companion, but he was aware of their inherent helplessness. After asking for directions to the clan head''s residence, he soon came across people who were wearing the Uchiha crest on their backs. Since John was well-known, especially among the girls, and many people had seen him in KFC, they were already familiar with him. The guys envied him a little because of his appearance, but they also understood that he could never be a rival to them because he was simply an ordinary person. He eventually arrived at Fugaku''s house after making several rounds and knocked. Itachi had opened the door while holding Sasuke in his arms. "Hello.." "Hello.. Umm .. Is Fugaku-san here?" Jon enquired. Itachi nodded and led him inside because he has seen him several times in the KFC. He didn''t say much before making a call to his father. His father returned quickly. "You''re Itachi, aren''t you? Enter your room. Fugaku didn''t anticipate John seeing him at his house, but he felt it had to be significant given that he worked for Aoto. "Welcome to the Uchiha clan.. Visitors are extremely uncommon in this place." Fugaku spoke while seated across from him. "It''s a nice place to live in. Much better than my father had." John appreciated the clan structures, stating that he particularly liked them. "Had? Where is he now?" The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Killed for loyalty." When John stated it, his eyes moved just a little. Though he wasn''t present when it occurred, he heard about it from Sansa, and those words continue to afflict him even now. Fugaku tensed up as he hadn''t anticipated that this regular guy had a backstory. "I apologize. I didn''t know you had it hard out there." Fugaku expressed regret. "It''s okay. Everything is well now, and it was a long time ago." John uttered. Fugaku didn''t want to ask about his past since he didn''t want to speak about it. "So.. Umm.. Do you have a purpose for being here?" Fugaku enquired. He didn''t see Aoto for a while because he had a lot going on. He was trying to find out where did Danzo get an eye and was cross checking the records of the deceased and also trying to read the shrine that had been passed down through the generations. Since Aoto had previously made a hint, he had a feeling that this shrine was significant in some way. He had a gut feeling that Aoto knew something about the tablet. He had almost forgotten to go to his store and buy the new palicos because of this. "Yes.. I am here for this?" John stated as he set some pharmaceutical bottles in front of him, one of which had the word Viagra printed on it. "What''s this?" Fugaku was bewildered. Seeing the bottle he could easily tell that it was some kind of medicine and it was probably from Aoto since he was in medicine and doctor business. John then exhaled deeply and stated. "Well.. You see....." John continued by describing what those things did and how they affected. When Fugaku heard this, he was astounded. He was hearing things that he couldn''t believe. "Wait, you mean to say I have low libido?" When John described the drug to him, Fugaku became furious because he perceived it as an affront to him. John spoke with composure. "Of course no. Aoto wants your help to sell this product." John immediately mentioned his boss without pausing to ponder. "What?" "He can''t sell this goods because he''s just starting out, and he can''t trust other people. You and your family are the only people he could rely on. He therefore requests your assistance in selling these." John answered with calm. "You want to sell these to the Uchiha family?" Fugaku was shocked. He didn''t anticipate receiving a business offer from Aoto instead of an insult. "Yes. He already had a deal with the Supervisor of Konoha Hospital and you already know how that turned out. He no longer has faith in him. The Uchiha family is the only option left as the Hokage cannot be summoned for this flimsy thing. He''s hoping you can assist him. He will only take a portion of the sale which will be fixed amount and you can just take the profits." As he pulled out the contract, John said. Fugaku ignored the contract and instead stared in awe at the medicinal bottle. He had no idea that this ''evil'' Aoto could even think of such a drug. He had seen the wonders of that potion before and that rocked his world already but this was something else. One that might boost a man''s libido and promote reproduction. This was legendary material. The village was always short of man power so every village would love to see their population thriving and of course manpower meant more soldiers for the village. Resources weren''t so scarce because Konoha was prosperous and fertile thanks to the nation. And this medicine would just bloom in their village if they sold it. This would be quite advantageous for Uchiha. And if it were sold beyond the country, the revenue would be in the millions. 88. Too much fun After much consideration, Fugaku acknowledged that it would be quite profitable. "Can we test the medication''s efficacy before I sign the contract? " Fugaku enquired. "That''s for certain. You are free to take as much time as necessary." John rose. He had never done such deals before, therefore he wasn''t very adept at them, but he did learn something over time. ''Never back down and be calm'' This greatly aided him, and in this instance as well, he didn''t fear when Fugaku became enraged without fully understanding him. He was relieved that everything had ended up well. As a gracious host, Fugaku asked John if he would like some tea or snacks at the conclusion, but John declined and left. "I need to visit Aoto.. This child. No, this young man keeps thinking up strange ideas one after the other." As he observed the two medicine bottles on the table, Fugaku had a thought. Suffice to say he got curious and took the bottle in his hand. All of the instructions were written on the bottle in extremely small print and were simple to follow. When he lifted the lid, a potent medicinal smell assaulted his nostrils. "Well, taking one shouldn''t be a problem right? Just for checking if it works or not." The curious individual pulled out one tab. He didn''t think much and gulped down one of the tablet. Fugaku had a great deal of faith in Aoto because he had witnessed how he had assisted their clan, and now even more so if this new medication was successful. As he swallowed the pill, a subtle tingling sensation began to spread throughout his body, initially starting in his abdomen and quickly radiating outward. Fugaku''s heart rate gradually increased, pumping an intensified rush of blood throughout his veins. He felt a surge of energy, as if a dormant flame had been ignited within him. Fugaku''s generally calm demeanor started to shift shortly after. He suddenly appeared rosy as a warm flush steadily crept up his neck and down his cheeks. Fugaku sensed a rapid rise in his body''s sensitivity as the effects of the Viagra proceeded to take hold. Every contact and fabric brush across his skin caused tingling to spread through his nerve endings. He suddenly felt extremely conscious of his own body, as though every cell had been given fresh life. It was at this moment that another thing happened. He was experiencing an extreme roller coaster of feelings and emotions as Mikoto entered the room. His wife Mikoto Uchiha was in front of him, glowing softly and seductively. Clad in an alluring ensemble from Victoria''s Secret, she exuded an aura of confidence and sensuality that caught Fugaku completely off guard. Stolen story; please report. "I brought this from Arya''s place? How about it?" Mikoto asked as she checked herself out, not understanding that her spouse was currently sporting a strange facial expression. Mikoto made a beautiful underwear choice, a delicate lace set in a rich shade of scarlet that complimented her dark, falling hair nicely. The cloth left just enough to the imagination as it clung to her curves with a seductive elegance. Her skin was caressed by the exquisite lace designs, which gave them an air of mystique and allure. For Fugaku, this was too much, and he nearly leapt at Mikoto. She got scared a bit seeing the reaction of her husband. But she also felt a different sensation from her husband. Shy, but also a little proud of the power she wielded over her husband. Fugaku picked her up and carried her to their bedroom, which was far away and lonely, without pausing. What followed next was a day that Mikoto wouldn''t ever forget in her life. She had never experienced the emotions she did that day. However, it was undoubtedly a "happy" one.
"What did he say?" Aoto asked. Aoto was a little worried, so when John returned, he asked right away. "It ought to work." John described what had taken place. Though Aoto had an ugly face since his name was taken but there was no way out. "Well, at least the bad part is over. Hope he accepts the deal." As he returned to his job, Aoto stated. Fortunately, John was there to assist him as he sought to avoid the embarrassing situation.
At Fugaku''s house, meantime, there was a different kind of ''fight''. It as quite the ''fight'' the couple had to endure which went on for around an hour. By the end, Mikoto and Fugaku were both ravenous and exhausted, but they both appeared to be content. After the ''fight'', both of them decided to take a bath together. When Mikoto and Fugaku got into the enormous wooden bath tub they had in their bathroom, their faces were still as red as tomatoes. She was repositioned on Fugaku''s chest by Mikoto. While the hands were submerged, she carefully held her husband''s palm. "What in the hell did you take?" Mikoto enquired. She was having a good time, but she sensed that something wasn''t right with her husband, so she had to inquire because she didn''t think he would get that worked up over a single piece of lingerie. "I''m not sure. They call it Viagra. That KFC guy explained me what it could do. But I just never expected it to be this ridiculous." Fugaku said as his heartbeat gradually returned to normal. Despite thinking this was absurd, he was glad to witness the results himself. Even a strong shinobi such as himself wasn''t able to stop the affects from taking over his body. Forget about other things; this medication could even be used as a kind of torture. Imagine a man who was required to become excited but lacked somebody with whom to express his annoyance. "I really hope I don''t get pregnant with another child." Without warning, Mikoto spoke. "What''s wrong with having another child?" Having a third child didn''t bother Fugaku. Shinobis were encouraged to give birth frequently, and their bodies suffered little because of their robust constitutions and chakra. 89. The third Kazekages seal "Although there is nothing wrong with having another child, given the clan''s current situation, it is not in our best interests." Mikoto remarked that she was aware that many important members of the clan were becoming frustrated with the current situation by this point. Since the Kyuubi incident, Konoha has marginalized their people more, which has caused them to become increasingly enraged. In general, Fugaku didn''t have a lot of issues with Konoha. He was indignant about how his clan had been handled, but he also recognized the reasons Konoha was so wary of them. He was making every effort to put his foot on both boats, but it was becoming more and more difficult. "It will be fine. If push comes to shove, we will ask for help from this Aoto, since he was the one who started this whole incident." Fugaku said while flashing a cheeky grin. His family was just as significant as his clan. He wouldn''t sacrifice his family''s happiness and well-being for spurious political reasons. "So you really trust him that much?" Mikoto enquired. "I don''t really trust him because I think he knows more than he''s willing to admit. But I have faith in his power. He is the only person who doesn''t fear Konoha." Fugaku commented as he thought back on that crucial evening. That evening, he played with Danzo and humiliated a shinobi of the kage level. And if that wasn''t enough, Aoto made him look like a child in front of an adult. He was impressed by him even if he wasn''t sure how he was doing it. He would have more faith in him to protect his family than the clan as a whole. Mikoto didn''t see what had gone down with Aoto when he faced her husband or Danzo but she trusted him, just like her husband. She merely wished for safety for their clan, family, and community and that everything would turn out okay.
Few days had passed since the time, and Fugaku had showed up the next day after John delivered the Viagra. Without saying a word, he promptly demanded the medication batch. Without much issue, the contract was signed. He demanded three times the cost of a Viagra prescription, and Fugaku agreed without so much as batting an eye. Aoto wanted to ask if he had checked the efficiency of the tablet bust seeing nor argument against the price of the medicine he decided not to. Additionally, Fugaku seemed to be aware that Aoto was uncomfortable talking about the medication, so he kept the conversation to a minimum. He truly believed that the cost of Viagra was lower than he had anticipated, but it actually provided him with the motivation to raise the cost and increase his income. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He only had to worry about the logistics, and he had enough subordinates who were eager to handle this kind of task. Fugaku ultimately purchased the two Palicos for his children that had been on hold for a while after signing the contract. Sasuke was still an infant who was unable to walk, but his father was prepared to give him a Palico because he had observed how adorable and submissive they were to other shinobi in the village He had discussed it with Kakashi, who was pretty straightforward and even gave him some advice on how to keep them. He acquired two more out of kindness. He kept one for himself and gave his wife the other. Aoto was delighted to get rid of an additional 4. He could only complete his mission in this manner. Aoto, however, had a different kind of day today because a surprise visitor had arrived. It was Konan and she was still wearing the headband of the Sand. "Hello." "Oh.. Miss Konan.. You have arrived. I thought you will never come back." When he saw her, Aoto''s eyes sparkled. Since she had demonstrated that she was a shinobi of the sand and it would be troublesome for future transactions, he believed she would never appear. However, the issue of her appearing in another village''s headband may have been resolved now that she was returned. Did Sasori join already? Aoto didn''t remember at what time Sasori joined the Akatsuki, it should be after the third great ninja war. But he didn''t care about that. "Sorry.. took a bit of time to give approvals." Konan expressed sincere regret. "This shouldn''t make you feel bad at all. You did everything you could to get the approval, and it appears that you did. So you''ll be the major driver behind the manufacturing, or will someone else speak on behalf of the community and handle the logistics?" Asked Aoto. "No.. I spent more time on this because I was the only one who was interested, so they gave me complete authority and let me close agreements, set up factories, handle logistics, and even hire men for this." With a hint of pride in her voice, Konan said. Aoto''s face was beaming. In order for her to never question him, he asked her this. Konan didn''t know that Aoto actually knew about her identity and he was just playing along. Just so that he could get profits. He didn''t care even if the money came from an enemy of Konoha. If there was any chance for their animosity to end, it would be through effective communication and holding the wrong people accountable. But even so, it was a long way to go. Konan then brought out the paperwork and the approval. Even the Kazekage seal was on it. But Aoto noticed the seal. Not the fourth, but the third kazekage''s seal was used. "So Sasori has already joined." Since Sasori had taken the Third Kazekage hostage and turned him into a puppet, Aoto reasoned in his mind. When someone viewed the seal, they would typically ignore which Kage had given it because there was typically just a very slight difference between the seals of Kages. Aoto, however, was curious, so he did notice the slight modification to the seal. But it made no difference. Since Konan got the manpower, he had got the ideas. 90. One year in Konoha Shikuro arrived from his ''school'' duties in the meantime and stiffened somewhat upon seeing Konan, but otherwise he behaved normally. Though he viewed her as enemy, he could also understand the failures of his and his past superior and the atrocities that had been inflicted upon her and her friends. But a significant portion of him didn''t think highly of her and believed Aoto to be a traitor of some sort. But the seal in him didn''t allow him to speak about it to anybody and he loved his son that had just been born. At this time, he didn''t want to risk losing his life. He did, however, make a promise to himself that if Aoto did decide to betray Konoha, he would disclose Aoto''s hidden deal before dying himself, even if it meant facing death. Aoto gave her the assignments after a long conversation with Konan. He handed her the blueprints and the supplies she needs in order to break into the new market. "So you want the Hidden Sand village to make these so called hard drives which could save information, fan to cool the system and cables required to connect the other small systems inside?" As she and Aoto studied the complete schematics for an hour, Konan questioned. It was safe to say that she didn''t fully comprehend what would be created. But she did understand the core idea. She had talked with Nagato and she gave a general overview of what she had talked with Aoto. His eyes glistened more and more as he listened. He seemed to understand what kind of system Aoto was trying to build and after hearing the whole thing from her, he ordered his 6 paths to contact with Sasori. Sasori had newly joined the organization and he was quite helpful when Konan entered Konoha. Nagato agreed, as had Aoto, that even if they did develop the system, it would still require a suitable set of data to launch it and enable it to function. Nagato explained that even if they created the system on their own, they would still require a suitable set of data, which is another way of saying "software." After much deliberation, Konan agreed to take on the task of creating factories that could produce the hard drives, ports, cables, and other minor components needed to construct a CPU. "Do you already have the software?" Konan questioned towards the conclusion as Aoto discussed software and clarified what it was. "I do, of course. Konoha has already constructed its first system, and locals will soon be able to use it. If the Hidden Sand village wants to be as advanced as we are, they must move quickly... Hahaha." At the end, Aoto teased. Even Konan laughed at the joke. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "The Hidden Sand village will start its production soon and will send the materials. I hope the next time we meet, you can give us some of these so called software. Sorry, I don''t understand the terms, hope it doesn''t bother you." Konan made a timid comment. Since both Nagato and this mysterious genius were gushing about this PC, she genuinely felt like a fool in front of them and resolved to figure it out in due time. "Not at all. Once you get to see and work on a computer, everything will come naturally to you." Aoto was unconcerned by her ignorance. "It will take some time so please give us a few months." Konan enquired. "Absolutely. Just make the things of better quality. A quality check will be performed as well as a check to see whether any snooping tools is concealed within. I hope you understand." Added Aoto. "That is customary. The communication between our villages is quite recent, therefore those actions would come naturally." said Konan. Somehow, nobody of them felt uncomfortable discussing this. There was too much animosity amongst the villages, and getting rid of them wasn''t simple. Any village would inspect the goods that arrived from somewhere to determine whether there were any "problems" with them. Shikuro remained silent while seeing all of this from the side. After eating lunch, which Aoto insisted she have before leaving, Konan departed. Seeing the good will, she accepted. She didn''t even consider that eating lunch here would be risky for her given that she was wearing the Kazekage seal and that her death on Konoha property might spark a war. Even though the seal was obviously fake, this served as a sufficient deterrent. After saying her thanks, Konan left with a bag full of papers that included the agreements and blueprints. She also enjoyed KFC cuisine, so she decided to bring some fried chicken back with her. "Are you still moving forward with the transaction? You know she hates Konoha." After she had gone, Shikuro questioned. "Konoha is Konoha. It''s not me. Despite my affection for Konoha, I will not overlook any wrongs that Konoha has committed in the past. My sense of patriotism hasn''t changed. Just like a person need introspection, the village too needs the same along with people. It''s time we acknowledged that we aren''t the best." Aoto stated firmly. Shikuro did get the reasoning behind this after spending time with Aoto, but decades of unwavering love for Konoha in the sake of the Will of Fire couldn''t be easily erased. Konoha needed reforms, it was true, but he wasn''t sure whether they would ever be attainable. Maybe Aoto could accomplish that with his strength, but he was also perplexed as to why, with his superior might, he wasn''t simply putting things right. He often struggled with the question, but he never had the courage to ask. More time had passed since Konan had come to meet him and soon it was a year of crossing to the shinobi world for Aoto. This indicated that Naruto had reached his first birthday and was still residing in the Hokage''s care. Aoto wondered if Danzo would still spread the word that Naruto was the Jinchuriki. 91. She is pregnant For everyone of them, the start of the new year in Konoha was unique. Including Aoto, John, Hot Pie and Arya had a wide smile on their faces as the final seconds of the year waned. They were already aware of the decorations and the festive atmosphere. They wished to see it for themselves. Shikuro had also shown up at their shop for the celebration. He wasn''t alone either. He brought his son along. the infant, who had not even turned one. Baby Torune. Aoto exhaled in relief upon seeing the youngster. No matter what, Aoto had a soft spot for the majority of the tragic shinobi characters. They had been pushed to their tragic life due to circumstances. He pondered whether he might affect the lives of others now that he had the ability to alter someone''s course in life. The charming town of Konoha acquired an air of enchantment. Every facade was embellished with dazzling lanterns and ethereal strings of fairy lights, which gave the area a beautiful glow. Kindred spirits congregated in comfortable inns and secret taverns to celebrate in secret, and laughter and joy erupted from these establishments. The village of Konoha was filled with a melodious symphony of joy and happy voices as the clock struck midnight. The kimono was worn by Aoto and others when they first appeared, and Arya adored donning it. It was odd because Arya never enjoyed formal occasions or any other situation that called for dressing up, but kimonos seemed to be really comfy. Aoto was enjoying watching the fireworks and all the nearby folks. He saw Kakashi and Guy sitting on the roof together. Guy hanging out with Kakashi so frequently before they had the responsibilities of young genins startled Aoto. Additionally, he observed Asuma and Kurenai gazing at the fireworks while holding hands. These two seemed to have been together since a very young age. Additionally, he encountered some of the clan leaders, whom he always greeted. However, it was the leader of the Uchiha clan that truly stunned Aoto. Mikoto was pregnant. Aoto''s mouth fell open at this. He was seeing things that he couldn''t believe. How could Mikoto get pregnant? Did the butterfly affect started to stake shape in such a violent way. Actually, it hadn''t been long since she became pregnant, and it wasn''t very obvious. The ''good news'' was something Fugaku only shared with people when he was speaking with them. ''Shit, that viagra shouldn''t have been given to them.'' Aoto pondered as he observed the couple. "What are you looking? Haven''t seen a pregnant woman before?" Fugaku enquired. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "No.. No.. I was just a little taken aback." Shaking his head, Aoto. When Fugaku saw him glancing at Mikoto''s stomach, he felt embarrassed. "If it''s a son we will name him Minato and if it''s a daughter, we will name her Sarada." "Huh.. You want to name your daughter after a salad?" For some reason, Aoto shuddered at hearing the name. He was baffled as to how some of Konoha''s brightest individuals could come up with such unoriginal names. Where were the creative ideas? Since Sasuke was named after Sasuke Sarutobi, a great shinobi of the Saurtobi clan, and Minato was the late 4th Hokage, he could understand the name Minato, but why in the world would they name their daughter after a salad? "Umm.. Aaaaaaa..." When Aoto criticized Fugaku for having a common name, he felt embarrassed. "See I told you Sarada was a weird name. You never listen." "Why don''t you suggest if you have so many good names?" Fugaku spoke in a harsh tone. He didn''t want to be made fun of in front of everyone by his wife and Aoto. "How about the name Lyanna?" Arya suddenly interrupted her takoyaki-eating to speak. When she spoke, everyone tensed up, including John, who had been staring at her with wide eyes. "What? You all required some suitable girl''s names. The name of my late aunt ought to do the trick. She just so happens to be the mother of this guy." Arya said not caring for the formalities at all and spoke the truth while pointing at John. "Arya, you shouldn''t speak when the the elders are talking." Right now, John asked her to stop talking. "What elders? I have also matured. It''s you who is getting old." Arya counter-argued. "Lyanna? That''s a beautiful name. A name from your lands?" Fugaku enquired. He was surprised to learn that these two siblings were only first cousins and had a close blood relationship. "Yes. It was my mother''s name, who I have never seen. My uncle, who raised me, treated me like his own son." John said and didn''t allow Arya to speak as he felt she was still young to deal with people like Fugaku. He constantly used caution since he felt helpless in the face of these "gods," no matter what. "Hmm... You really do have a deep story. I like the name, young girl and I also like your fierce and bold attitude. It''s decided, if it is a daughter, we will name her Lyanna. Aoto said that you don''t have chakra, why don''t you come to our clan and take lessons on swordsmanship from me." Fugaku declared while beaming broadly. When Aoto heard the notion, he arched his brows. Did Fugaku really intend to instruct Arya in swordplay? That is new. He wouldn''t give a damn, though. Arya seemed to be very happy and promised to show up at his place the next day for lessons. Meanwhile, Mikoto was very happy with the name and asked the meaning to which Aoto replied. The name meant light in a little different language. Knowing that her child, if a daughter, would be called after a good thing made her extremely pleased. Before they parted, they continued their conversation briefly. The Uchiha clan was still not seen in very good eyes around and thus Fugaku and his family left after sometime because it would be a little irritating if people around didn''t have good will for them. Aoto even presented some gifts to Itachi and young Sasuke. Itachi was overjoyed to receive the gifts. 92. Finally God After returning home, Aoo was back in his room. Today was not only a new year for him, but also an important day. It was because in the early morning, the last Palico that was left to sell was sold and he had finally completed the mission of selling the required number of products in order to get to the next upgrade. The last few months had been eventful for Aoto. He had only only sold all the Windows 98 version but also all the other products. The medical school was finally built and children were chosen for this school quite early. Aoto wanted the children to be much older before they entered the school but Hokage said that they needed to learn the things young and could save lives of many. "If it was in my world, you would have been put behind bars for child abuse." Aoto thought but let him do whatever he wanted. Anyway the course wasn''t as vast as it was supposed to be in any ordinary medical school of his world so it would do for them for now. But later when the course becomes large, they would have to see at what age the children could start the learning process. Learning about human biology and also all problem related to heart was already a vast course. Adding more would be a torture for them. But all in all, everything had been good for him and he was finally able to upgrade his system. "System, I want to upgrade the shop." [ Upgrade conditions met. Upgrading.. 10%.. 20%.. 50%.. 80%.. 100% ] Aoto sighed in relief as he thought the upgrade would take a lot of time. But thankfully it only too a few seconds. "What are the advantages of this upgrade?" Aoto asked as he was curious and excited since he was going to get powers for the first time. [ These are the points that host can enjoy in this upgrade 1. Summons : Another summon will be chosen randomly who will be proficient in a random profession, helping the host in his endeavor and also a bodyguard for the safety of the host. The bodyguard''s potential will be calculated according to the host extra sales and service he had provided to the customers and will be chosen from any random world just like the summon. 2. The area of protection will be a bigger radius than the previous 50 meters and it''s 150 meters. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. 3. The host can now get a lottery of arranging his side career on any power system belonging to a random world. Since the host is living in a dangerous world, he needs protection when he goes out for business related matters. 4. Host will get a lottery of 10 items like last time and the new items needs to sold for 200 units at least and this is one of the basic condition to enter to the next upgrade. ] "Wait what? I will get a bodyguard?" [ Yes host, but mind you, the quality of the bodyguard will depend on the extra credits that the host has received from the extra sales and services that the host had provided to the public ] "What are my current credits?'' [ The current credits of the host 6/100 ] "Even after paying the money for the school, I have so less credits?" [ It''s the system''s opinion of assigning credits to the host ] "I have got one moody system." Aoto mumbled but he was okay with it. A bodyguard and power system. He was more than happy to acknowledge it and launch his so called ''side career''. "System, I want to start the summoning process first." [ Acknowledged. Host is taken to the system space ] After coming into the familiar white space, he felt the same loneliness feeling which he had felt the previous time. Without much expectation he asked. "System can you bring John, Arya and Hot Pie?" [ Sure, host ] Aoto was surprised because he really didn''t expect that the system would go along with his request and without any warning he saw John, Arya and Hot Pie standing before him. They were confused of course of what just happened but they did remember the white space. "Are we going back?" John asked with a hint of sadness in his voice. Though the world was dangerous, he loved his life here. There was no one coming after him and he didn''t need to think much about his food and shelter. "No.. No.. We will be getting new people and I wanted you to be my side while I turn the wheel. You won''t leaving this place any time soon. " Aoto said and calmed his friend. "New people? Like people from Westeros?" Hot Pie asked as he would love to see new people from Westeros. "It depends on my luck. There are thousands of worlds out there." Aoto replied as he didn''t have much hope for people from Westeros as there was very less productivity. Hot Pie was a little disappointed at this but nonetheless still excited to see new people who was a expert in their field. The wheel was again in front of Aoto. "Pray for me." Aoto joked as he started turning the wheel. Everyone nearby also looked at the revolving wheel with wide eyes, not blinking at all. Soon the pointer stopped at one of the question mark. The question mark slowly got erased and revealed a person in front of them. It was a teenage woman about to enter adulthood. Her face was oval-shaped, with soft, rounded cheeks with eyes of bright shade of blue. her nose was petite and well-proportioned. She also had an athletic build with well defined shoulders. She was wearing a mechanic''s cloth adoring a cute top and well fitted jeans. She also seemed to carry a toolbox around her waist. She even wore boots on her feet showing that she was accustomed to working in a mechanic based environment. Aoto instantly recognized when the face was shown in the lottery. He had really hit the jackpot here. 93. Scientist? No, a milk hater Winry Rockbell. That was the title of the lady who had taken the place of the asterisk in the wheel. Her features, particularly her toolbox, made it clear to Arya and others that she wasn''t from Westeros. Even though they were a little let down, they were nonetheless glad to see a new person and make a new acquaintance. "Winry Rockbell. She is what is called an automail engineer. If a person loses his limb like hand or leg, she can replace that part using artificial hand or limb." Aoto introduced her to everyone in the group so they could learn about her background. "The auto what ?"Arya questioned as though her siblings were unable to comprehend. "Uhh. Seeing it with your own eyes is preferable to hearing about it from me." Added Aoto. Winry Rocbell came from the Fullmetal Alchemist (brotherhood) universe, where Edward Elric and, to a lesser extent, his brother Alphonse served as the main characters. Due to his experiment with his brother, Edward had lost both of his arms and legs. The journey he and his brother took in search of their former bodies served as the plot of that world. It was easily among the top stories in the history of the anime business and one of the best stories Aoto had ever read or watched in his former life. Aoto could already foresee gains from having this woman work for him. Plus she was a great eye candy. As Aoto was contemplating that, Winry materialized in front of him and others. She wasn''t sure at first. She was working in the shop and out of nowhere she was brought here. Then the details of her being transported to a new world, her new job and employer, as well as the fact that she could bring two of her world''s inhabitants with her, began to flood her thoughts. "Hello, um. Are you my employee?" Winry spoke in a quiet, timid voice. Everyone in the room seemed to find her voice to be calming. "Hello Miss Winry Rockbell. I am Aoto Yamazaki. This is..." Everyone was presented by Aoto, who smiled in greeting. "Aren''t you surprised that I brought you here?" Aoto questioned, appearing at ease. "Uhh.. Ed and Al had gone to many places and they spoke about a different place which was not in our world, so coming into a new world isn''t that surprising, I think." Winry answered. She didn''t appear to be phased, and in fact, she shown a keen interest in everything around her. Arya and the others were amazed at how quickly this newcomer was able to adapt. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Especially John who was in confrontation mode. Everyone admired her sparkling grin. "So Miss Rockbell, whom do you want to call as your help?" After a suitable introduction, Aoto questioned. "Uhh.. Although I have no idea what kind of world this is, I would like to bring Ed and my grandmother." Winry paused to consider before responding. "Ed? You don''t want to go for Al?" Aoto questioned her since he thought she would choose Al given their close friendship, but he recognized that her choice of Ed was understandable given her feelings for him. "My granny is getting old and may pass away soon. I do not want her to die by herself. Al also has his own life today and is independent, therefore I believe he will succeed in life." Winry offered her justification and compassion. "And Ed would need your assistance in his automail." Added Aoto. Winry nodded while also blushing a little. Winry didn''t waste much time, instead using her contract to call Pinako Rockbell and Edward Elric. Edward and Pinako appeared in front of them in an instant. Both were initially perplexed, like Winry, but information quickly flowed throughout their minds. Pinako seemed to take this just like any other weird day for her. She had witnessed many things over her existence. Her soul getting sucked into hell and then coming back to life, seeing the long life of Ed''s father and every weird thing that alchemy had brought to their life. She smoked her famous pipe and took it all in. Yet Ed was the complete opposite of the grandmother. He immediately began posing inquiries while beaming with delight. "Where am I? What is the name of this world or country?" "What are the fundamental laws of physics in this world? Are they similar to alchemy in my own world?" "What are the prevailing scientific theories and advancements in this world?" "Are there any ongoing conflicts or wars that I should be aware of?" "How do people in this world communicate? What dialects are used? Wait you seem to understand what I am saying so the language shouldn''t be a barrier." ".." He was about to say more when Winry arrived and struck him in the head with a wrench. "Ouch.. Winry.. What was that for?" Edwad yelled. "You moron. You asked about science before even making an introduction. Have you lost your manners?" "What do you expect from me? I just came into a new world. The first thing that springs to mind is science." Edward answered. "Hhahaha.. I''m aware of your curiosity. But this is the first time I have seen you acting on your whims. You are fortunate to have Winry in your life." Added Aoto. Winry and Edward exchanged brief glances before quickly averting their gazes out of embarrassment. "No surprise she choose him. They are so lovey dovey.. Ugh." Murmured Arya. "Do you know me? Do you know who I am?" In addition to wanting to change the subject, Edward was interested in the overall scenario. "Yes. Edward Elric. Almost everything about you is known to me. Your battle, your experiments, your triumph, and your inquisitiveness. Oh, I am aware of your dislike of milk." Added Aoto. "See.. Everyone is aware of your dislike for milk. You are now better known as a person who despises milk than as a scientist." said Pinako. "Grandma.. What? Do you want a battle?" Edward bellowed. "You think I am afraid of you. You chibi." "You think I am, you oldie." The people who were watching them laughed as they began arguing like two young children. 94. The joker "Winry, do you know why you are here?" Aoto enquired after observing that the two had become involved in a dispute over milk. A war that has been raging for years. "Yes, to work and create automail for the world''s citizens." Winry seemed happy as she nodded. She often got enthusiastic when automail was discussed. "Hey.. Automail.. Do the people here face the problems like ours? Wait, are there automail in this world already or Winry''s expertise is a new thing?" Edward enquired. Because of the frequent conflicts and sometimes limb loss, their world had a sizable population of automail engineers, scientists, and surgeons who were devoted to this subject. Since Winry was intended to be employed here, it was possible that potential clients might want her knowledge and automail. Meanwhile, Aoto was surprised that Ed could think that a world might not even have automail. His experience while moving around was really something. "You''re correct. This world doesn''t have automail and Winry will be the first person to have something like that. And certainly, these conflicts are deadlier than yours. "Added Aoto. "Deadly than ours? Are you certain of that?" As he pondered his most recent major battle, Ed posed the question. The war against the Father and his legion of fools who wanted to immortality. "Yes. Although you may have witnessed the destruction of the Ishval Civil War and the fight against the Father, those conflicts pale in comparison to the conflicts taking place here. There are weapons here that, with the flick of a finger, might destroy an entire city." Added Aoto. Ed tensed up and clenched his hand in response to this. He never imagined that the world he was introduced to would be so perilous. "Is there knowledge of alchemy here I can learn from?" Ed asked because he didn''t want to inquire further about wars because it was upsetting Winry. "No. However, ninjutsu exists. A new kind of weapon that is much scarier than alchemy." Added Aoto. "Ninjutsu? That''s new term. Can''t wait to learn about it." Ed had gleaming eyes. "But at first you will have to help us in maintaining and opening the shop." Added Aoto. Ed nodded. At last, Ed spoke and introduced himself to the three persons there. John and others too introduced their own previous world. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Ed had huge stars in his eyes when he came to know that their world even had dragons and magic. But regrettably, he wouldn''t get to see them. Meanwhile, Aoto came to see the wheel again and this time the wheel was not white in color but rather red. Probably the system''s way of saying white for peace and prosperity while red is for violence and blood. However, he was prepared to spin it. "You will bring more people?" Jon enquired. "Yes. I have been given the power to summon a bodyguard for myself." Added Aoto. "A bodyguard? You do need one." Arya said. She still recalled how Aoto left the hospital that day, feeling as though his life was in danger. Because Winry was confused, Hot Pie explained how his "lottery powers" operated. Aoto twisted the conversation vigorously without objecting to it. The wheel eventually stopped on a question mark after around 30 seconds. The image of a man took the place of the question mark, which was gone. A man with a slim face and elegant features, with blonde hair that fell to the side of his shoulders. He had a lean physique and a body that could easily scream strength and agility seeing the well toned muscles visible in some parts. But that wasn''t the person''s main selling point. The highlights were his clothes and his makeup. Yes. The makeup. This man had strange tattoo-like purple shading under his left eye and lipstick that reached all the way to his cheeks. He was wearing a beanie that had tails on the sides that reached his stomach and covered his head. A perfectly pressed white pant and a perfectly tailored light pink suit with red hearts on it. In addition, he had a large, extremely fluffy coat on his back that reached his knees. It was a really odd outfit, especially for a male. Everyone nearby almost chuckled seeing the face but Aoto had a very serious one. "System, can the deceased also be brought?" [ Please don''t belittle the system, host. It can do things unimaginable to you ] "Fine. I believe you." Added Aoto. The man himself emerged out of nowhere as the other people were chatting about his attire. However, there was one change from how he appeared in the wheel image. This man had eyes that were continuously streaming with tears. Everyone there that was fooling around had to stop and just watch in quiet as a result. They were baffled as to why someone would cry after being called. Was he sorely missing someone? Was it his lover? Or his son? Aoto approached the man who was sobbing down to his knees and gave him a bear embrace. The man simply allowed the stranger to hug him rather than shooing him away. "It''s alright. You kept him alive. It''s okay." Aoto spoke softly in his ear. A little shaken, the man who had been crying looked up. The man wanted to say something but seeing people around he stopped. He didn''t recognize any of the people present in the white space and he was confused a bit even though his mind was filled with new information. "It''s okay, you can speak. You won''t have to hide yourself from us." Added Aoto. After much thought and a slight quiver, the man eventually asked in a hushed voice. "Is this heaven?" "Hahaha.. No.. This is a new world same like your previous world, just a different one but equally as fucked as your world, if not more. Welcome to the new world Mr. Rosinante Donquixote or should I just call you Corazon?" Aoto enquired while cracking a broad smile. Having someone like him by his side made him extremely happy. 95. Theoretically, I can become a God "This is Corazon. He formerly served in a certain world''s Navy and died protecting a child from his own brother." Aoto offered the people in the area the shortest description possible. When they first learned that he was a member of the Navy, they breathed with satisfaction, but when they learned that he had died protecting his child from his own brother, they shuddered. Slowly rising to his feet, Corzon grinned broadly at everyone. Though he didn''t recognize any of these people, but one thing he did know was that he was brought here to protect the young man here. "Killed by his brother?" John enquired. "Are you serious?" In his rage, Edward was visibly shaking. After his parents passed away, Alphonse was the last remaining family member he had, and now he was hearing a tale about a brother who had murdered another brother. "Doesn''t that mean he is dead?" Winry enquired because she still had the mental capacity to address the crucial matter. "Well. I brought this guy here and gave him life with my arbitrary powers." Added Aoto. The fact that a dead person could be brought back to life startled Ed the most since, throughout his life, he had believed that a dead person could never be brought back to life. "Can you please revive my mother?" Ed asked, his eyes filled with great anticipation. It had been a long time but that weird obsession of bringing his smiling mother to life hadn''t faded away. "I''m sorry to everyone. Although I''m sure that everyone would like to have their deceased loved ones back in their life, my abilities are very limited, therefore I can''t really help you unless I fulfill several requirements. I apologize." Aoto spoke the truth. He had let them see how he had brought this man to life and it was just a random occurrence. Ed and the others were a little disappointed to be shot down in such a manner, but they understood the point. Meanwhile, Corazon didn''t care if he was alive or not and just wanted to know of the child. "What happened to Law? Do you know where is he?" Since the man here, whom he was meant to guard, seemed to be quite knowledgeable, Corazon inquired. "You have been dead for quite a long time. Law had already grown and living his life." "Did he join the marine?" Corazon enquired because he anticipated Law would behave well in the future. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Do you think he would be safe with the World Government after what your brother did and the way the Navy was after the Devil fruit?" Asked again by Aoto. Corazon got silent. He knew how badly the World Government needed that Devil Fruit and what was supposed to be done with the fruit. "He became a pirate. Made friends and defeated your brother who is rotting in jail at the moment. Later he goes on to defeat Big Mom." Slowly, Aoto spoke. "What?" When Corazon heard that, he was very alert. Law defeated a Yonko and his brother? What on earth just happened? "I will tell you the story later. For now enjoy your new life." Added Aoto. He lacked the patience to patiently tell the fascinating and lengthy tale of Law. Hearing the fresh information slightly aroused Corazon, and he was prepared to wait to hear the tale. "So I''m supposed to always keep you safe?" Corazon enquired. "All times? No. You should be aware that I own a store. Everything in the store is secure. Your assistance will only be needed when I leave." Added Aoto. Corazon nodded as he had got a very information of his work and what he was supposed to do. Even though he was mostly fuzzy, he was prepared to wait it out because he could tell that this guy also wanted to do something else. Aoto then walked to the last wheel that was standing in the white space. The first one was white, the second was red, and this one was simply packed with a variety of hues, each of which contained a question mark. "System how do I exchange my credits for a better assessment?" [ In this evaluation, host credits cannot be traded. The host will be allowed to have an evolved talent, per his present credits. ] "Evolved talent?" [ The host needs to understand that he has been brought from a different world and you have no talent whatsoever. You are like a white canvas. When the host opts for a side career in the credits system, he will be given an evolved talent. He will start out with the absolute lowest talent, but that talent won''t last forever. With his perseverance and hard effort, he will be able to rise gradually. ] "That''s .. That''s fantastic. Thank you." [ The host is getting the evolved talent status because of the initial discount of the credits system. ] "Again, thank you." Aoto believed that the system was just being kind to him because this "evolved talent" thing was a rare thing. Without further delay, Aoto began to turn the wheel. By that time, the others had gathered around him and were interested to know what kind of wheel it was. In order to ensure that Corazon was included, Hot Pie also informed him of what was happening. The pointer eventually halted on a question mark as the "rainbow" wheel spun quickly. The inquiry suddenly surfaced, and a brief sentence slowly emerged. One that made Aoto incredibly happy. "Power system - Magic from the world of Marvel." A magic system that was really powerful. Well, in customary sense the magic system of the Marvel world wasn''t powerful but then the Dr. Strange in What if? series was a godlike being. And the good part for Aoto was that his talent would be ever evolving so one day he could definitely reach his power levels. Theoretically he could reach his level one day. Of course, it would take a lot of time to get there, but he was willing to put in the effort. 96. You are not safe "Magic.. From the Marvel World..?" After seeing the name, Edward uttered his words slowly. "Such a long name. Who''s gonna say that out loud?" Winry said as everyone here was thinking they would getting more ''friends and coworkers''. "It''s not a name." Aoto shook his head and denied. "Then? What is it?" John enquired. Aoto didn''t know exactly what to do and just clicked with his finger at the "Power system - Magic from the world of Marvel." Then something magical happened. Suddenly the air crackled with arcane energy as they emerged into an awe-inspiring library. "What''s this?" "What just happened?" Everyone was in astonishment as they looked around, unable to comprehend the abrupt change in environment. The library stood as a sanctuary of knowledge and arcane wisdom, its grandeur beyond mortal comprehension. Magnificent shelves that reached the heavens were crammed with a never-ending selection of books, scrolls, and antiquated manuscripts. With complex carvings and mesmerizing symbols decorating every surface, the architecture itself appeared to come to life. They appeared to be endowed with a life force of their own. The vastness of the library seemed to defy conventional measurements. Numerous winding hallways led to secret alcoves and alcantaras where rare books and dusty grimoires slept patiently, awaiting the adventurous minds that ventured to seek their illumination. A warm, unearthly illumination emanated from shimmering crystals dangling from the ceiling, producing dancing shadows that appeared to be uttering ancient incantations. Aoto took a while to look around before recognizing the library. It was the library that Doctor Strange went to in What if? before he became Doctor Strange Supreme. But the library was much bigger than he anticipated. The sectioning of the library opened up new, larger chambers and tunnels. One section was named "Celestial Magic." The others were included under their names as "Eldritch Magic," "Pantheonic Magic," "Chaos Magic," and other sub-sections. Aoto was amazed as he took in his surroundings. He nearly had lights in his eyes when he saw the names all around him. He moved ahead and attempted to penetrate the area of Celestial Magic, but he was halted by an imperceptible barrier. And Aoto received a notification right away. "The person isn''t knowledgeable enough to enter the Celestial Magic section." "What? System? Why can''t I enter it?" Aoto had to inquire due to his amazement. [ A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. A person could enter the section when he is worthy enough. The section you are reading is the most basic; only after you have gained sufficient knowledge will you be permitted to move on to further areas. ] And sure it was, as the other people around him got curious and wanted to enter the other sections only to be stopped and given the same notification. They were both astonished and perplexed. "System, can they also learn magic?" Aoto enquired after noticing that the library held all of his summonses. [ Anyone can enter this location at the host''s discretion, and anyone with the aptitude can learn magic, both those who have been summoned and those who have not. The host can also set rules apart from the rules of the library. For example, if the host sets the bar of Celestial Magic knowledge in a much higher level, the library will follow that rule as long as the basic rules of this library are maintained. ] "So in a way, will it be obeyed if I state that once someone learns the magic knowledge, they won''t be able to speak about it or spread the knowledge to others? Is that even feasible?" [ Yes. It''s up to the host to decide. ] When Aoto heard that, he sighed in relief. At least he could establish a rule prohibiting any of his summons that were brought as assistants to the actual summons from discussing it with others. He wished for his people to acquire this information without a doubt, but to keep it a secret from others. The person who distributed ninshu to others wasn''t Hagoromo. "System set the rule that the knowledge of this library, its existence and the knowledge wouldn''t be spoken out to others. They can practice it outside, protect themselves, and even engage in combat when necessary, but it is never to be spoken." [ Acknowledged, host ] Aoto was pleased that the library had such a restriction. Now he didn''t need to worry about the library and the knowledge. Others were browsing the library''s books, scripts, and tomes as Aoto dealt with the new library he had recently acquired. The first person to pick up a book and begin reading it was Edward. He was surprised more and more as he read. "These theories on the transmutation of energy through celestial alignments sounds interesting..." "Philosopher''s stone? I have seen the real thing.. Wait.. This is all just theory.. I need to know more." More and more of Edward''s attention was drawn to them as he read. The library also had some histories and information on the risks associated with magic in addition to the fundamentals of magic. In order to prevent people who discover magic from becoming completely enamored with it, the danger element was also included on the first page. Along with others, Corazon was also reading them. They were so absorbed in the information that they almost lost track of time. The large library''s night lights gradually went out as sunlight from a new dawn streamed in through tiny windows perched high on the walls and ceilings. Aoto needed to call everyone because he realized that a lot of time had passed. Soon everyone was assembled, and hunger, astonishment, and excitement could be seen on everyone''s faces. "I am aware that you wish to learn more and read more. In fact, I want to learn too.. However, the newcomers must enter Konoha. You all carry fresh documents that will make it easy for you to pass through the gate. Corazon-san please lead them to the gate of the Konoha village safely." Added Aoto. Corazon gave a head nod. Before they began to delve further into magic, they needed to get their lives in order. "We can take care of ourselves." When Aoto asked someone else to take care of them, Ed felt a little uncomfortable and said. "You don''t. You will not last a second here if a normal ninja come out to attack you." 97. Somebody has such balls Winry stopped Edward from arguing when he tried to. After getting the proper map, Aoto sent them 5 kms outside of Konoha and asked them to follow the map. Corazon was given the task of leading this small group and assisting them in traveling to Konoha, where all would later be explained. "The library will be open to everyone, and anyone will be able to come in and go out through the door that will be installed in my house. Please be patient with me as I purchase more businesses and residences over the next few days." When Aoto announced it, everyone agreed to the new guidelines. Everyone exited the system at that point, Corazon''s squad going to Konoha and John''s crew going to their old house. There was only Aoto left, so he requested that the system turn the regular wheels so he could see what fresh items he needed to sell. Seeing the white wheel again, Aoto said "Old friend.. We are here again to try my luck." As he settled his thoughts and spirit, Aoto said. He prayed to all the gods, even the Marvel magic gods, for better luck. He gave the wheel a vigorous spin. "System, open all the 10 products in one go. I don''t want to waste my time turning the wheel endlessly." [ As your wish, host ] Aoto needed to try this strategy in the hopes that, unlike his last attempt, he would acquire several solid ones in a single spin. 10 question marks appeared as a large wheel spun and came to a complete stop. Aoto wasn''t sure whether to laugh or cry when he first saw the items for sale. Some were truly excellent, while others were plain terrible. The products that the system indicated were for sale were 1. Manga (any type of manga from the prior Aoto universe, but it had to be sold for a total of 5000 copies) 2. Sex toys (of all varieties) 3. Solar panel technology and solar energy harvesting 4. Condoms 5. Orthology-related medical knowledge (includes everything) 6. Female cosmetics 7. Amasec (wine) from Warhammer 40k universe Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. 8. A magical pouch with a capacity of 2 cubic meters 9. Adamantium 10. Lithium batteries Some of the objects delighted Aoto, while others made him angry, extremely angry, and on the verge of bursting into a fit of rage. But then he realized the system''s sardonic side, and he felt resentful. Aoto groaned. He was worn out. Even though he was tired, he had to be a good host because Corazon and the others were his employees and would be arriving shortly. Fortunately, it was a holiday and he could relax longer because the day was immediately following the new year. After exiting the system, he observed John, Hot Pie, and Arya getting ready to go. At that point, Aoto grinned and got ready as well. He arrived at the Konoha''s gate quickly and waited. At this point, the temperature had dropped by a significant amount. Small snowflakes were falling from the dark clouds overhead, making the air chilly and covering the houses, trees, and sides of the roads with a very thin layer of white. There were no people around, and just two Uchiha bodyguards were stationed at the gate to protect Konoha. After Viagra sales began, the Uchiha family was instructed to treat Aoto with the utmost courtesy. "Good morning Aoto-kun.. Why are you up so early?" When one of the Uchiha guards saw Aoto waiting so early, he had to inquire. "Ah.. I have new friends coming so I needed to be a good host." Aoto answered. The guard for Uchiha nodded. Aoto was hoping that they would show there soon because it was chilly outside, but regrettably, Corazon didn''t show up for another 30 minutes or so and was wearing a torn side sleeve. Upon viewing this, Aoto''s eyes wrinkled. "What happened?" Aoto questioned without saying hello because it was obvious that Winry and Pinako were upset and even the outspoken Edward was unhappy. "Someone robbers attacked us. Corazon here saved us." When Aoto heard this, he was shocked. Even though they were five kilometers from Konoha, someone had the gall to harm them. The Uchiha guards who were listening to this were suddenly on alert and came forward. "Pardon me. Can I know what happened?" Although the Uchiha guard was somewhat startled by Corazon''s extravagant attire, they weren''t paying much attention to it right now and were acting more professionally and solemnly. Aoto nodded in response as Corazon asked him if she could explain what had happened. Two individuals reportedly attacked them when they were on their way back in lightning-fast fashion. Corazon was the first to come forward and defend. His sleeve was torn by a kunai that sliced through it. Of course, Corazon then went on to demonstrate his own expertise and defend themselves. Although the robbers were swift, Corazon was both stronger and quicker. He didn''t make a direct effort to stop the robbers, though, because he was protecting others. The robbers fled after realizing they couldn''t harm them or steal anything from them, and Corazon was compelled to let them go. The Uchiha guards took note of everything after checking their credentials. "I sincerely apologize for whatever occurred. Because of our carelessness and unprofessional behavior, you were attacked so close to Konoha. We guarantee that the Konoha will apprehend the robbers and provide an adequate justification." stated the Uchiha guard. The other Uchiha guard likewise expressed regret before leaving to inform the authorities of what had transpired. Aoto didn''t give a damn and led Corazon and the others to his residence. "Are you hurt?" Asked Aoto. Just shaking his head, Corazon. He had been shot, but he survived for a very long period after that. What harm a little scrape could cause him. Soon they were at home and Aoto told them they could have a warm bath here since the house was quite large. Though the space would cram up a bit, it was enough for all to fit and live. 98. I am your hope and salvation After taking a hot bath, everyone finally sat down together while Hot Pie and John served food for everyone. Arya contributed as well. "This food is great." Edward praised the preparation of the Hot Pie. He has always been a master baker and cook. Hot Pie was in charge of the kitchen while the others took care of the housekeeping and maintenance. He had learned many new cooking techniques since entering this world, which made everyone at home pleased and grateful. Additionally, Hot Pie loved to cook and saw it as a win-win situation as he simply had to provide delectable cuisine. "Of course, Hot Pie makes the best food." Aoto complimented him and stated. Hot Pie simply grinned modestly and ate the salmon. "Corazon, those robbers. How did you feel about them?" "They are fast and nimble. Weapons that I have never seen before are used by them. They must possess great physical strength." As he sipped his tea, Corazon said. "You are mistaken. Though they are fast and agile, but they are not as bodily strong as you. They might be slain by you with just one powerful hit." "What?" Corazon was surprised because it didn''t make any sense. So Aoto had to explain them how this world had their own system and the presence of chakra which made these men more powerful , abilities that could rival devil fruits and make themselves akin to God. "So basically everyone here has a Devil fruit and it depends on each and everyone how they would like to develop?" Corazon declared. Edward and others were surprised that this world turned out to be more dangerous than the previous ones. 3 great wars had already passed and people go on mission for living which includes killing and every other thing imaginable. This was the Wild West out here. And they thought their world was dangerous. Sheesh. Corazon was not particularly affected by the battles because he had witnessed many fights during his life and knew how brutal people could be. "More or less, though some have something called blood limits. The guards who you met have special eyes called the Sharingan which allows them better eyesight and if they could practice properly they can be really powerful." Added Aoto. Corazon gave a nod. "So I need to safeguard you from them, if you go out and this shop is under protection always?" Corazon enquired. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "Yes, the shop''s surroundings are specially protected, and nothing can harm us here," Added Aoto. Edward had to inquire because he was curious about this chakra issue. "How did they discover this chakra? I''ll try to create this chakra in my body." Edward enquired. Shaking his head, Aoto. "It isn''t feasible. A person by the name of Hagoromo gave chakra to the entire globe thousands of years ago. He is the reason why there is chakra at this place as he taught others about ninshu which we now know as ninjutsu. The chakra was passed down through the generations, with each generation passing it on to the next." "Ohh.. Thousands of years? He is now dead. Sigh. He must be a genius to be able to introduce a new system to the world." said Edward. "He was a genius but it was also because of his birth that made him have chakra in his body." Added Aoto. "Birth?" "His mother was a Godlike being and she gave birth to two sons, Hagoromo and Hamura. Hagoromo''s ability to master chakra was a result of their bloodline." Added Aoto. "Godlike being? Then what happened to her?" Assuming that God were intended to be immortal, Winry questioned. Since she had heard of the God of alchemy from Edward, she wasn''t very intimidated by the idea of God. "Sealed away. Waiting to emerge and cause havoc in this world again." And this time, Aoto added a smile. But the grin seemed unsettling. Everyone shivered at this. "Are you serious?" by Edward "Hey, how come you have never told us of this?" - Arya "This world is more dangerous than we thought." - John. "Hey, how come this God is interested in this world. She is supposed to be a God, she shouldn''t care of weak beings like us." Pinako commented as he made the room slightly smokey by puffing on a pipe, but no one bothered to correct her. "Grandma, that''s the problem. For her, and beings like her, we are just batteries to make them more powerful." "Them? There are more people like her? And they consume us?" Corazon enquired of her. "Yes. They are currently far away, so please don''t ask me where they are. However, it won''t be long before they arrive and further devastate this globe." "Why are you telling me this now?" Confounded, John questioned. He hasn''t ever mentioned the lengthy history of this planet. "That''s because the library you just saw has the solutions to your salvation and safety. The power and information in the library are sufficient to endow you with power far beyond what you currently possess. Prior to today, we didn''t have the opportunity to genuinely be on par with them, but you do now. You can develop the skills necessary to protect yourself by practicing, studying, and teaching yourself." Added Aoto. "You are saying as if you are sure that this mother of this genius would be unsealed and people like hers would surely come to eat us." says Ed. "She may or may not be unsealed, depending on a variety of factors. However, there is unquestionably a very high likelihood that somebody like her will touch down on this planet." Added Aoto. "And the knowledge in the library is enough to fight them?" Now with renewed vigor and zest, Corazon questioned. "Yes, but it also depends on your talent, so those with low talents might have to work extra hard." Added Aoto. However, his words fell on deaf ears. They were terrified and repulsed by the thought of being ingested by some godlike being. And seeing the only hope in the library made them more hungry for the knowledge inside. 99. Lets come to the good part Aoto stood before the eagerly gathered group, their eyes shimmering with a mixture of excitement and curiosity. He acknowledged their fervor for knowledge but felt compelled to remind them of their obligations. "I sense the palpable enthusiasm and insatiable thirst for knowledge among all of you. However, let us not overlook our duties," Aoto spoke, his voice carrying a tinge of solemnity. He reached into his belongings, revealing a handful of items bestowed upon him by the enigmatic system, although not every item. "This is Adamnatium," Aoto proclaimed, presenting chunks of rock that melded a mesmerizing combination of black and silver hues. Except for Edward, the group seemed rather indifferent, perceiving it merely as an ordinary stone. However, Edward''s interest was piqued at the mention of a new type of rock. "This substance can only be molded once to rid it of impurities, thereby transforming it into the strongest metal known to mankind. It is impervious to any force. Edward, I entrust you with this metal. Shape it into kunai, shurikens, and if possible, blades. I will enlist skilled blacksmiths to assist you. Do you believe you are up to the task?" Aoto inquired. "Wait, did you just say it''s the strongest metal?" Edward questioned, his eyes brimming with newfound curiosity. "Yes, the molecular composition of this alloy renders it extraordinarily stable and unbreakable. If ever shattered, it would imply the intervention of forces beyond the confines of conventional physics," Aoto replied, sparking a glimmer in Edward''s eyes. The metal held great potential for crafting automail parts, and even Winry recognized the value as she examined the rock in her hand. "Perhaps this could be used for automail as well," Winry mused, realizing that incorporating components made from the strongest metal would alleviate the burden of frequent repairs. With the distribution of the metal settled, Aoto turned his attention to Corazon, discussing ways to support him in manga sales. While manga held a modest market in Aoto''s own world, it presented an opportunity for both leisurely reading and financial gain. Gradually, everyone comprehended that Aoto had entrusted them with specific tasks, tailored to their individual skills. While Winry was expected to work on automail, akin to Hot Pie, the vast knowledge Aoto had shared invoked a sense of reciprocity among the group. It was the least they could do. Aoto decided that upon Shikuro''s return the following day, he would assign him the responsibility of wine sales. Thus, each person had a designated role, and Arya also received her fair share of tasks. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Edward was tasked with solar panels and lithium batteries. Arya would oversee the sale of female cosmetics. Aoto himself would dedicate his efforts to selling magical pouches. Three items remained, one of which was a book Aoto believed he could sell to the new medical school, given their fascination with literature related to bones. Once each person received their assigned tasks, Aoto granted them access to the library, understanding their yearning for further knowledge. However, before they immersed themselves in the wealth of books, Aoto singled out one individual, requesting a private conversation. It was Pinako Rockbell. "Kid, there''s something you''re reluctant to sell or even discuss openly, isn''t there?" Pinako directly asked as Aoto beckoned her to a secluded corner. Aoto experienced a mix of embarrassment and surprise, his anger simmering beneath the surface. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that the system would require him to sell sex toys. The idea seemed absurd, and his initial instinct was to discard them entirely. However, he recognized that refusing would mean forfeiting progress within the system. With resolve, he clenched his teeth and accepted his obligation. "I apologize, Grandma. Truly sorry... There are certain items I need to sell, and if I don''t, I won''t be able to move forward," Aoto confessed, his words laced with remorse. "We understand. We know that, like us, you have your own obligations. No need to apologize. Now, show me what you need me to sell," Pinako responded, her voice a mixture of empathy and wisdom. Aoto was surprised to discover that these people not only understood his predicament but also comprehended the importance of fulfilling his assigned tasks. Barely a day had passed, and they had already grasped the nature of his obligations. It was to be expected from a group well-versed in literacy. Aoto then presented Pinako with a selection of sex toys and a stack of condoms. Initially, she failed to recognize these objects, but upon closer inspection, her previously concealed eyes widened in comprehension. Her pipe, tightly clenched in her hands, snapped in half, sending a shudder through Aoto. He stood in silence as Pinako''s anger became palpable. "These items require a separate establishment for sale. I won''t sell them here," Pinako declared, her voice trembling with indignation. The audacity of Aoto''s request far exceeded her expectations. "I apologize once again, Grandma. I''ll do everything within my power to rectify this situation," Aoto vowed earnestly. "It''s fine. Just get me a new pipe. This one is beyond repair," Pinako responded, her anger subsiding. Aoto nodded in understanding, and with their conversation concluded, Pinako headed towards the library to explore the vast expanse of knowledge it held. Aoto, however, had a different destination in mind. He bypassed the library, making his way to Konoha''s real estate office. His objective was to secure a nearby plot for his own shop and an additional, slightly distant space for Pinako''s adult items. Having traversed Konoha, he knew that an adult store would be a groundbreaking venture, and he hoped the townsfolk would embrace it without prejudice. It appeared that he would need to discuss this matter with Fugaku. Aoto after showing up came up to realization that it was a holiday and he could only get the office open the next day. With dejection he came back, but soon he entered the library after coming back. He had a long time ahead and was ready to read. But before that he needed to sleep a bit and get his own biological battery recharged before cramming it with knowledge. 100. They are just ungrateful The following day dawned with a picturesque scene¡ªa blanket of snow several inches thick had settled overnight, accompanied by a significant drop in temperature. However, inside Aoto''s home, the occupants remained oblivious to the changing weather. They were completely engrossed in the library, their minds captivated by the pages they devoured. As they delved deeper into their reading, their amazement grew, leaving them with an insatiable hunger for knowledge. They continued studying, discussing, and reading throughout the day. The passion for learning consumed them so entirely that even Hot Pie, usually responsible for cooking, didn''t have the chance to prepare a meal. As hunger gnawed at their stomachs, they collectively decided to visit Ichiraku Ramen''s shop. At the shop, Edward and the others savored their meals with great satisfaction. They understood that mastering the intricacies of magic required more than a single day''s worth of effort; it would take time and dedication. Early the next morning, Shikuro arrived at the shop, only to find it closed. He had to make his way to Aoto''s home and knock on the door. When it swung open, he was greeted by the sight of everyone inside, sipping tea, and new faces in their midst. "Hello. Is this a bad time?" Shikuro inquired hesitantly. "No, not at all. Come in. These are our new colleagues," Aoto replied, surprising Shikuro. It was evident to him that these individuals were not locals but hailed from distant lands. Since they were granted entry into Konoha, their documents were in perfect order, indicating no issues or concerns. However, Aoto remained a mystery to Shikuro. He still wondered how Aoto had crossed paths with John and the others, but it seemed that he might never uncover the truth. "Hello, I am Shikuro Aburame. I will be in your care from now on," Shikuro introduced himself. Edward and the others warmly greeted him and offered their own introductions. However, it was Corazon''s introduction that caught Shikuro off guard. A bodyguard? That was peculiar. Shikuro had assumed Aoto would only hire individuals skilled in specific fields. Did Corazon possess formidable combat skills? Shikuro couldn''t help but feel an urge to test this man''s prowess, to understand his strengths and weaknesses, as their partnership was crucial in safeguarding Aoto. However, such matters could be addressed later. At present, everyone was enjoying breakfast, and Shikuro was even invited by the grandmother to join them. As a man of few words, he listened intently as they regaled each other with tales of their lives beyond Konoha. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Their conversations painted a vivid picture of a world utterly different from his own, and he struggled to grasp the meaning of half their words. After the meal concluded, Aoto spoke up. "So, Shikuro, what do you aspire to do in life?" Aoto asked, purposefully waiting until everyone else had left the room, leaving them alone. "Life? Um... I am here to serve you until death," Shikuro replied, bowing his head. He couldn''t comprehend why he was being asked such a question. After all, that was the agreement he had been forced into. "No, I understand you are bound by the seal, but if you were free, what would you choose to do?" Aoto inquired genuinely. "Um... I would continue protecting Konoha, as I have always done," Shikuro responded after pondering for a moment. "How about protecting humanity as a whole?" Aoto suddenly proposed. "Protecting humanity? I don''t understand," Shikuro admitted, puzzled by the concept. "Imagine there was an enemy hell-bent on eradicating all life in this world. What would you do then?" Aoto questioned. "What? That''s absurd! There is nothing that could wipe out all humans. Not even the tailed beasts possess such power," Shikuro stated, fully aware that discussing the tailed beasts was considered taboo. He assumed Aoto already knew of their existence, as people of high authority like himself were privy to such knowledge. Aoto until this point has shown knowledge that he himself didn''t have a good grasp about so he for sure knew that Aoto knew of other tailed beasts too, in addition to Kyuubi. "Who said I am talking about the tailed beasts. There are much more dangerous things in this world." Aoto said while putting his serious face. "The tailed beasts alone were tamed and distributed to the villages by Hashirama Senju. It didn''t require an army; he accomplished it alone, So they are not really a threat." "What?" Shikuro''s eyes widened in astonishment. This part of history had remained concealed from him and most likely from others as well. It felt somewhat shameful that other villages had received tailed beasts from Konoha, only to later turn ungrateful. "He distributed them to other villages?" Shikuro inquired, seeking confirmation from Aoto. Aoto nodded solemnly. "But... but after the First Hokage''s demise, the other villages attacked us," Shikuro recalled. "So? Does that matter? But that is not the question I''m asking, Shikuro. I want to know if you are prepared to defend humanity when the time comes," Aoto redirected the conversation, leaving history for another discussion. A sense of dread washed over Shikuro upon hearing this question, but he clenched his fist resolutely. "As long as it doesn''t harm Konoha, I am willing to fight anything that threatens the well-being of people worldwide," Shikuro affirmed. "Good answer. Come with me." Aoto said as he seemed very glad with the answer of Shikuro and led him to a closed room on the side. There, on the side, was a door made out of wood which looked ancient and mysterious. Aoto opened the door and went with Shikuro inside. There he saw something that blew his mind. The sheer size of the library was something out of the ordinary and he was sure that this huge room wasn''t a part of the home of Aoto. He was in awe looking at this place so much so that he was speechless. "What.. What is this?" 101. One product sold Aoto proceeded to explain the significance of the library and the vast knowledge it held. As Shikuro listened, his facial muscles twitched involuntarily. "Is it because of this library that you possess such immense power?" Shikuro couldn''t help but recall how Aoto had mocked him and Danzo on a previous occasion. "More or less," Aoto admitted without explicitly confirming Shikuro''s assumption. The library was undeniably a part of the equation, contributing to Aoto''s formidable abilities. Shikuro fell silent for a moment before asking, "Why are you showing me this?" "So that you can acquire knowledge and learn magic from here. Additionally, you can employ your own spells and abilities in future battles. However, it goes without saying that you must keep this knowledge to yourself and refrain from distributing it," Aoto explained. Shikuro found it difficult to believe. He had witnessed Aoto effortlessly defeat Danzo, leaving no chance for anyone to even scratch him. And now, that very knowledge was being bestowed upon him, free of charge. "Thank you... I don''t know how I could ever repay you," Shikuro expressed his gratitude. "Repay me by remaining loyal to me. I understand your deep devotion to Konoha, and I share your sentiment. However, that doesn''t mean I have to love those individuals who sit atop the hierarchy. When the time comes, I will personally take care of Danzo, and I hope you won''t hesitate to act when the need arises," Aoto declared. "Killing Danzo-sama..." Shikuro stumbled over his words. "There is no ''sama'' here. He is nothing more than an asshole, a cancer to Konoha. You have no idea how deeply he has infiltrated our village, making enemies at every turn," Aoto revealed. "I... I understand," Shikuro replied, comprehending the gravity of the situation. "It''s good that you do, because you are already on the opposing side. If you don''t follow my lead, you might face dire consequences due to the seal," Aoto warned, wearing a devilish smile that sent a shiver down Shikuro''s spine. Meanwhile, John and the others were back in the library. Upon seeing Shikuro, they greeted him warmly and enthusiastically showed him around the vast collection of books. "Okay, everyone, it''s time to get to work. Corazon and Shikuro, come with me to the real estate office. We need to purchase new plots of land nearby, including one for the adult shop," Aoto instructed. The rest of the group continued their studies as usual, with the exception of Edward, Winry, and Grandma, who focused on their own research. The three of them accompanied Aoto to the real estate office. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Aoto discussed his requirements with the officer, who attentively listened. If it weren''t for Aoto''s reputation, the officer might have been tempted to laugh, but he managed to suppress it. Aoto noticed the barely concealed amusement and felt somewhat embarrassed. Once they returned, Aoto knew he would have to convince Corazon to abandon his flamboyant makeup and eccentric coat. The news of Aoto''s plans to open new shops had the office buzzing with excitement. Everyone anticipated something akin to a beloved fast-food chain like KFC, wondering if it would be another delightful culinary addition to their town. However, Aoto remained enigmatic, refusing to divulge any details about the new shops he had in mind. It would take some time for the office to contact other shops and negotiate potential sales. In the meantime, they considered the possibility of purchasing a vacant shop located farther away, which could be acquired more quickly and at a lower price. Aoto couldn''t help but blush at the thought that the thing he despised the most might be the first to be sold. He provided the initial fees to the office and emphasized the need for swift progress. As they left the office, Aoto noticed Shikuro growing restless, eager to return to the library to continue his studies. Corazon felt the same way. Aoto chuckled and said, "You can''t be so impatient. The knowledge isn''t going anywhere. It''s still there. Come with me to the hospital." They felt a tinge of shame and nodded in agreement. Aoto led them to the hospital, a place where healing and hope intertwined. The exterior of the hospital showcased a harmonious blend of weathered stone and polished wood, seamlessly merging traditional and modern aesthetics. Exquisite carvings depicted serpents intertwined, symbolizing healing and renewal, adorning the grand entrance. Tall windows bathed the corridors in natural light, while the graceful sloping roofs boasted intricate patterns, lending an air of elegance and timelessness. Above the main gate proudly hung the sign of the Hidden Leaf village. Passing through the gate, Aoto headed straight to the Principal''s office. The Principal, selected based on merit and possessing a genuine passion for educating future generations, also possessed the necessary managerial skills to run the school efficiently. He was delighted to see Aoto, knowing that it was Aoto''s influence that had placed him in this position¡ªaway from the medical field and guiding students towards a brighter future. The Principal had been diligently reading Aoto''s published works, considering him almost as knowledgeable as Princess Tsunade herself. "Aoto-kun, welcome. Would you like to teach the students personally?" the Principal asked, believing that the author of the books should be the one delivering lectures. "Please, Principal Karatachi, I am not yet experienced enough, and teaching is an art best left to professionals. However, I am here to discuss the sales of my new books," Aoto responded. "What? You''ve already written another book? As expected of the genius you are. Hokage-sama would be delighted to hear this," the Principal exclaimed. "Well, this is the book I''ve written. Please have medical professionals review it for any errors. It focuses on bones. Also, if possible, could you arrange for some fresh cadavers? I''ve run out of them," Aoto requested, presenting the manuscript to the Principal. The Principal was happy to be get a new book and thanked Aoto again. But Aoto did mention that the school and Konoha would have to buy 200 copies of the book. The Principal nodded and knew that Aoto was businessman and he needed to have sales in order to fund his own research so he didn''t mind at all. 102. Grandma, what are these? Before stepping into the Principal''s office, he had requested Shikuro to escort Corazon to a hair salon for a complete makeover. Corazon''s current appearance was driving people away, and there was no need for him to maintain this peculiar makeup solely to please someone. With a persona resembling that of the joker and a disdain for children, he had previously rejected any kids from joining Doflamingo''s crew. However, now that he no longer faced such restrictions, it was in his best interest to transform himself into a normal citizen. After their brief conversation, Aoto returned home and resumed his usual routine of setting up the shop, all the while studying the intricacies of Eldritch Magic. The Academy was closed for a few days due to the New Year, granting Shikuro some much-needed personal time. Meanwhile, Winry and Edward were fully engrossed in the library and didn''t emerge, but the rest of the group had responsibilities to attend to, including Aoto himself. After receiving his new makeover, Corazon rejoined them at the shop, emanating a newfound handsomeness and towering height. His blond hair stood out among the crowd, and without the makeup, his face exuded a masculine charm. Coupled with his impressive stature, Corazon had the ability to make any woman''s heart flutter at the mere sight of him. "Now you look much better. Go on in," Aoto commented as he observed Corazon making his way through the store. Corazon nodded in agreement, and alongside Shikuro, he ventured into the library. With the opening of the new shops imminent, their free time would soon be greatly diminished. Several days had elapsed since the first sale, and Aoto busied himself with organizing the shop. The computer sales were steadily increasing as the Hidden Rain village not only manufactured computer parts but also purchased them from Konoha. Konoha experienced a similar trend. Many people had spotted the spreadsheet feature displayed on Aoto''s shop desk, KFC, and Victoria''s Secret, arousing curiosity among shopkeepers about this new technology. Word spread, and as a result, numerous households began saving money to acquire these computers. Even the new medical school started incorporating computers into their work. Aoto was well aware of the sales figures, as profits were distributed monthly. With each passing month, he not only sold a greater number of Windows 98 computers but also reaped profits from their sales, considering he was one of the investors and the visionary behind their design. In truth, the reason Aoto could afford to purchase nearby plots and shops was due to the computer sales and the substantial earnings he garnered when he sold Palicos. He had managed to sell each Palicos at a price three times higher than the system''s value, accumulating a considerable fortune that could only be expended on acquiring lands and shops. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Fortunately, after a week, they obtained a shop situated slightly away from the main shopping district. Aoto wasted no time and promptly paid the full amount. The shop was pristine, with everything in order. "Sorry, Grandma, you''ll have to walk here every day," Aoto remarked as he escorted her to see the new shop. "Well, at least I''ll find some peace here, away from all the noise at your KFC. Kids really do make quite a racket," Pinako responded. Aoto was certain she said this to spare his feelings. Later, out of guilt, he mentioned that he planned to appoint someone else to manage the shop, but Pinako refused, claiming that no other upstanding individual in society would take charge of the shop. Only once the shop became established and routine would Aoto be able to find a suitable person to oversee its maintenance. Upon arriving at the shop, which was already immaculate with tinted windows and doors, Aoto began arranging the items on the shelves. The process of designing the shop took a week to complete because he wanted the shop to have a unique appearance compared to the others. Pinako also lent a hand in organizing everything after Aoto started to arrange things. "Grandma, starting tomorrow, we''re opening the shop," Aoto announced. Pinako nodded. "Ed and Winry mentioned they would come for the grand opening," Aoto added. "These kids... I had hoped to keep it away from them," Pinako sighed. "They''re not kids anymore. They''re adults," Aoto replied. "To me, all of you will always be like children," Pinako said as she lit her pipe, a gift from Hiruzen, who seemed to have found solace in her companionship due to their shared age and love for smoking. He had shown up one day in Aoto''s shop congratulating him for the good sales of computers, but when she saw Pinako smoking at the side of the shop in her pipe, he stopped and started talking with her instead. The next day, he came again and now with a new pipe and quite an exclusive one at that. Pinako liked the gift and thus they both had started spending time with each other once in a while.
The next day Winry, Edward, John, Arya and Corazon had shown up in the first day of the shop''s opening. The shop was named Konoha''s adult store. The shop items had always been a mystery to them since Aoto and Pinako refused to speak about the items in the shop and kept everything in secret. Thus their cursorily was at it''s peak as they stepped into the new shop, the air was filled with an unusual energy. Shelves were lined with an array of curious objects and intriguing contraptions, leaving even the seasoned adventurers momentarily bewildered. Winry''s eyes widened as she took in the peculiar sights, her mechanical aptitude momentarily eclipsed by a lack of familiarity. "Grandma, what is all this stuff? It looks so...strange. What are these...things?" Winry stumbled on her words as she asked. She unable to make out what these items were. "Ah, my dear Winry, welcome to the realm of adult novelties. These are items meant for, um, personal enjoyment and exploration." Pinako said with a straight face, not embarrassed at all, while chuckling. 103. The GG 3000 "Grandma... Is this what I think it is?" Edward exclaimed as he stumbled upon the adult section. Horror filled his voice as he struggled to process the situation. As a young man, he had a vague understanding of what these items were, but he couldn''t fathom the idea that his Grandma was ready to sell such things. "It''s probably exactly what you think," Pinako replied nonchalantly, seemingly unaffected by Edward''s shock. "What the hell are you selling, you pint-sized Grandma?" Edward yelled, his anger and embarrassment evident. "What do you care, you miniature engineer? This is an adult store. What do you expect to find here? It''s clearly marked 18+ outside." "You must be joking. Then what are these tongue-shaped things?" Edward pointed to another shelf, beneath which a sign read ''Gluck Gluck 3000'' in bold letters. "Those are for the boys... if you catch my drift," Pinako remarked, winking at Edward and then glancing toward his crotch. Edward cringed visibly, his discomfort written all over his face. Meanwhile, Winry took her time to comprehend what she was seeing, and when the realization struck, she was overcome with horror. She felt an urge to flee from this place due to the overwhelming embarrassment, but it was her grandmother''s shop, so running away would be rude. "I''ve seen my fair share of peculiarities, coming from a different world, learning magic, but this... this is a whole new level of strange," John commented, observing the surroundings. Sex was not as taboo to him as it was to others. He had experienced and witnessed his fair share of it in Winterfell and the Wall. "Ah, the marvels of human ingenuity never cease to amaze," Corazon chuckled. The shop boasted a wide array of adult toys, ranging from dildos, straps, vibrators, sleeves, harnesses, and even sex dolls. The more they looked, the more amused they became. Arya, always quick-witted and unfiltered, couldn''t resist joining in. "So, Grandma, is this where you''ve been hiding all your secrets? No wonder you and Aoto didn''t want to talk about it." "There''s more to life than automail and engineering. A woman has her secrets, after all," Pinako replied, a hint of mischief in her tone. "What secrets? I''ll beat the living daylights out of Aoto for filling your head with all this stuff," Edward threatened. Pinako looked at him with wide eyes and said sternly, "You''ve done nothing but bury your face in books nonstop at the library. But he has responsibilities that you know very little about. So, shut up." Pinako''s reprimand silenced everyone. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Pinako was right, they had been reading books and and enjoying life, but they did have the feeling that Aoto carried responsibilities too. He had already tasked them with work so they knew that Aoto too had some obligations of some kind but since their shop hadn''t been put up, they were just freeloading at this point. "But this is embarrassing..." Winry expressed, her eyes becoming slightly watery. "It doesn''t matter. I won''t be here for long. Aoto will find someone to replace me eventually, and the people here will get used to it," Pinako reassured her. Edward let out a sigh and reluctantly accepted the situation. They spent a little more time looking around before leaving, with Edward leaving a note on the cash counter. "Make sure you don''t get any ideas for my automail, chibi grandma. I don''t need any...enhancements." He didn''t say it out loud, but the note conveyed his feelings. After their visit, they returned to Aoto''s home. Aoto had been busy acquiring shops and land in the nearby areas, so he couldn''t be present for the inauguration. Later that evening, Aoto entered the library, as was his usual routine, and noticed Edward and Winry looking at him with a mix of anger and shame. "I''m sorry. I didn''t have any other choice," Aoto apologized, anticipating their reaction. Edward and Winry gazed into Aoto''s eyes, sensing his own remorse and understanding the difficult position he had been in. "I hope the people here buy those things," Edward muttered. "I hope so too, or else it will be even harder for us," Aoto admitted. Winry remained silent, focusing on her studies. In the initial days, there were no customers at the new shop due to the deterrent effect of the 16+ sign displayed outside. However, one night, Pinako informed them that a customer had finally arrived. "Who was it?" Aoto asked. "It was an adult woman wearing the Konoha headband and stockings from Victoria''s Secret," Pinako replied. Aoto and Corazon had accompanied Pinako back to the shop. "Stockings? Tell me more," Aoto inquired. Pinako proceeded to describe the first customer who had come and purchased an item. Initially amused, the woman''s curiosity had led her to make a purchase. Based on the description, Aoto deduced that the customer was Anko Mitarashi. She seemed quite outgoing, which worked to their advantage. At least they had made a sale and weren''t sitting idle all day. "By the way, how is your relationship with the Hokage?" Aoto suddenly asked, recalling the numerous interactions between Pinako and the elderly leader. Pinako didn''t mind the question. At their age, they cared little about what others thought. "Oh, he''s an old man. Still a bit sad about his deceased wife and the betrayal of his student," Pinako shared. "He mentioned his student?" Aoto was surprised that Hiruzen had mentioned him. "No, I just know that his student betrayed his trust and left. Why do you ask? What did he do?" Pinako inquired. "Well...his student became obsessed with immortality and turned into a psychopath, similar to the Crimson Alchemist," Aoto explained. Crimson Alchemist was quite the psychopath as he went so mad during the Ishval Uprising that even the military had to lock him up. And now there was another person of the same level, if not more. Pinako sighed thinking how someone''s student could turn up like that. "War changes people grandma." Aoto said. 104. Duel between men and women Aoto said knowing fully well that the grandma had also lost a lot in the war. She was a bit sad and so was Corazon who had seen a bunch of horrors of his own life. It could be said only Aoto was the most sheltered one here as everyone among them had lost one person or another in their life. Though Aoto did lose his parents from both the worlds, at least he knew one set of parents were alive and well. They didn''t speak more and were soon back at their home. Happy about the sale, Aoto went to library and started his daily study. He had been studying in his free time like crazy. Learning basics of magic and how they actually operated. The number of books in the library were vast so he had chose what he wanted to learn and what he could use them later. Actually almost everyone had their own sections of the library which they had focused on and what they could learn and understand better.
Hidden Rain village Pain was sitting on the edge of a huge statue that seemed like a demon who had extended its tongue and Pain was on the sitting at the edge of the tongue. If anybody could see it, they would be scared with the person sitting in the heavy non-stop rain. "Nagato, the demand for computing equipment is steadily rising. Konoha has shown more interest in partnering with us for the supply of CPUs. It''s a significant opportunity for our village''s growth. This man named Aoto is still oblivious to the fact that we don''t belong to the Sand village." Konan spoke as she appeared behind Pain. "The transition from a war-torn land to a thriving hub of technological innovation is a slow process. We can''t rush it. It''s good that the Asura Path has the knowledge and the technicalities to handle the situation. But this.. This is all dirty money." Pain said. "But Nagato.. He is a ninja and he hasn''t even joined any Academy." "Konan.. have your forgotten about the innocent children, men and women who had died in the war? Weren''t the innocent?. There is nothing innocent about wars Konan." Pain said in a deep and almost emotionless tone. Konan stiffened hearing that. After Yahiko died, Nagato had changed completely, from a silent and a calm friend to someone who was in a complete different path. He lived for his mission and his mission alone which he seemed to have taken on his shoulders. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "We must leverage this opportunity to showcase the hidden rain''s potential without sacrificing our values. The sale of Konoha''s computers will strengthen our economy, but we must also focus on nurturing our own technological advancements. Though I think this is still blood money but it will help the Akatsuki to gain funds which we are seriously lacking. Have you contacted Kakuzu?" "He is a slippery man and after spying on tons of casinos, we finally got a scent of his. Our spies will make contact soon." Konan said. "Hmm.. Make sure that the Konoha doesn''t know that we belong to the Hidden Rain village. We still can''t support our organization without a stable flow of money, and in order for Konoha to not doubt us, we need to sell computers to Hidden Sand too." Pain said. "I will send Sasori for this." "Is there other form of business relation that could be set up with this Aoto while circumventing the village''s supervision?" Pain asked. "I am not sure. I will have to ask." Konan said. "Do it. I am curious about how this man came up with something that is almost at the level of Asura Path when it comes to computation. He has already set the ground work and this technology will progress very fast. He is a great visionary. Maybe we should invite him to Akatsuki." Pain said. "I will give him hint about it the next time I go for the supplies." Konan said. "Make sure sensei isn''t around when you snoop in or else we will hate to lose our beloved sensei." Konan nodded and the slowly walked away from the place.
Several days had gone past since the first setup of the adult shop. And surprisingly more customers did show up in the shop. One thing was being sold like hot cakes in the shop and that was condoms. Apparently, after Anko bought the toy she was so happy about it that she came back again to buy another toy. And she didn''t come alone. She came with someone else. This time it was her girl friend. Kurenai. Aoto hearing the description almost had an headache. Was Asuma bad in bed or something or had he not ''consummate'' their love yet? What a headache. But after some days, Hiruzen too had shown up at the shop at one evening. He was surprised a lot seeing the kind of shop it was but he approved of it saying that the people of Konoha needed to have ''fun'' behind closed doors. War times could be stressful and this could release a lot of stress. This old guy seemed to be quite progressive of his times. After much running around by Aoto, he had finally gotten the approval and had paid the money to buy nearby three shops which also had a home built on the top for the shopkeepers to live. This made everyone happy as it meant that everyone would get enough space to sleep and live apart from coming to the library to study. Shikuro too had expressed that he wanted to move in near the shop with his toddler. It was supposed to be an evening of leisure and relief since Aoto had been running around for almost three weeks for the shops but he knew that tonight wouldn''t be an easy night for Aoto. It was because this stupid Edward had proposed a duel between the able men and woman on the knowledge of magic they have studied up to this point. And this whole ordeal made everyone excited. Except for Aoto. 105. Different forms of magic The library was astonishing. This remarkable place even housed arenas that could be accessed by entering a side room. The more they discovered about the library, the more they marveled at its wonders. The arena was prepared, and Pinako was chosen to be the match referee. "Welcome to our first arena fight. Edward ''Chibi'' Elric and Donquixote ''Silent'' Corazon," Pinako announced, clearing her throat. "Chibi grandma, once I defeat you, I''ll show you who the real chibi is," Edward shouted. Corazon, on the other hand, embraced his name, finding it fitting. Both Edward and Corazon eagerly anticipated their confrontation, relying solely on the magic they had acquired during the past three weeks. Though their knowledge was limited to the basics, it was crucial for them to practice and develop a deeper understanding of their newfound abilities. Edward''s words fell on deaf ears as Pinako rang the bell, signaling the start of the match. Excitement filled the air as everyone sat on elevated chairs, their eyes fixed on the arena. With focused intent, Edward extended his hands, conjuring an orange whip, known as the Eldritch whip¡ªa fundamental magical skill. Infused with mystical energy, this whip remains unbreakable unless wielded by a weak magician or confronted by a more powerful one. Confidently flicking his wrist, Edward sent the whip hurtling towards Corazon, aiming to ensnare him. However, Corazon, having honed his newly acquired abilities, raised his hand and summoned a shimmering astral shield, the Tao Mandalas. These defensive and offensive manifestations required skill to employ effectively, much like the Sorcerer Supreme''s masterful control, resembling a boomerang-like proficiency. The whip collided with the shield, its power absorbed and harmlessly dispersed, leaving Corazon unharmed. Undeterred, Corazon retaliated with a gesture, conjuring ethereal chains that materialized from thin air. These chains, adorned with eldritch runes, darted towards Edward, seeking to bind him. Reacting swiftly, Edward summoned Tao Mandalas in both hands, effectively halting the chains in their tracks. "Corazon''s progress surpasses Edward''s," remarked John, observing the unfolding fight. It was evident that Corazon had even mastered the creation of chains¡ªa rudimentary skill. Within three weeks, his magical advancement was remarkable. "Ed has been occupied with studying runes and delving deeper into their mysteries," Winry added. To illustrate her point, Edward stamped his automail leg on the ground. Suddenly, blue runes illuminated the automail, causing rocks to erupt from the arena floor, hurtling towards Corazon with impressive speed. Corazon, taken aback, swiftly summoned a massive Tao Mandala to shield himself, shrinking his own body to fit within its limited coverage. But Edward wasn''t finished yet. He extended his automail leg again, channeling a surge of arcane energy. From his fingertips, bolts of mystical lightning crackled and streaked toward Corazon. The lightning bolts weaved and zigzagged, aiming to catch him off guard. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. However, Corazon, with his newfound mastery of the mystic arts, gracefully sidestepped the incoming lightning bolts, employing his own magical agility to navigate the battlefield. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured two additional Tao Mandalas, causing the lightning to bend and disperse harmlessly. The clash of their powers reverberated throughout the arena, eliciting gasps and cheers from the spectators. Even Pinako couldn''t help but smile, amazed at how swiftly this young lad had adapted to a new form of technology, pitting himself against Corazon, who had been battle-hardened throughout his life. She was certain that if Corazon utilized his natural abilities, it wouldn''t be an easy battle for Ed. Both of them demonstrated that with dedication, newfound abilities could be harnessed and wielded skillfully, creating a dazzling display of magic inspired by the Marvel universe within the confines of the arena. After a few more minutes of exchanging magical prowess, both combatants decided to bring the duel to a halt. "This duel ends in a draw," Pinako declared. Ed and Corazon approached each other and shook hands. They had learned a great deal from this duel, but they knew that there was still much to discover and master. "Ed has done well in runes. Maybe he will be enter the Pantheonic Magic." Arya mumbled. By this time everybody had understood what the other sections of the magic represented as they had been reading and learning so they could tell which section represent what kind of magic. Although the knowledge was very rough, but they were getting there. "Next fight is between Arya ''Piercer'' Stark and John ''Dragon'' Snow." "Sister, I will not go easy on you." John said as he got up. "We will see who goes easy on whom." Arya said. Once again, they found themselves in the arena, with Ed and Corazon taking their seats among the audience. Arya and John stepped onto the stage, ready to engage in another intense clash. Arya had made several preparations, adorning her boots with runes that enhanced her speed and agility. She gripped the Tao Madalas firmly in her hands, intending to utilize them in her attacks against John. Meanwhile, John had a preemptive plan. He wielded whips in his hands as he lunged towards Arya. Swiftly evading his assault, Arya closed the distance between them in a mere second. John, realizing he had limited options, resorted to using the Tao Madalas for defense. However, Arya''s exceptional agility allowed her to strike from an unexpected angle. In that critical moment, John experienced a strange sensation. He couldn''t discern if it resulted from his defensive maneuver or if something dormant within him had awakened. Suddenly, a vibrant crimson mystical energy materialized between Arya''s attack and John, swiftly transforming into an actual sword¡ªan authentic, tangible weapon! Aoto''s eyes widened in disbelief. He never anticipated this turn of events. It wasn''t merely the fact that John had the ability to manifest objects through conventional magic, but rather the effortless manner in which he conjured the sword. This was chaos magic. "Is that...?" Shikuro, who had been closely observing the battle, sat upright, his gaze fixated on the red mystical energy. The others in the vicinity followed suit, captivated by the astonishing display. They were familiar with chaos magic, and its defining characteristic was the potent hue of crimson. And now, John had just unleashed its power. 106. Where are you running? "Indeed, that''s chaos magic," Corazon confirmed, his voice filled with a mix of awe and concern. Like everyone present, he had read about the subject. "How is this possible? We deliberately avoided studying chaos magic due to its inherent dangers," Winry exclaimed, her voice laced with worry. "Perhaps John''s previous encounter with chaos magic influenced him," Aoto speculated, recalling the events surrounding John''s resurrection. It was plausible that the experience had left a significant impact on him. Arya, who had been ready to strike John, paused and stared at him wide-eyed. Even John himself was taken aback by the unexpected manifestation. He could discern that he had wielded chaos magic involuntarily. "Put an end to this fight. It''s no longer safe," Aoto stood up and shouted. Although the books provided limited information on chaos magic, it was enough to instill caution and keep their distance from it. ''The magic is primarily associated with a crimson color, but at its peak potential, it can take on various hues. It''s an immensely dangerous form of magic capable of influencing reality. It must be approached with utmost caution.'' This revelation was enough to make everyone wary and apprehensive about the magic. John''s display of chaos magic without even casting a spell was a monumental occurrence for everyone present. Arya took a step back, observing her brother with a mix of envy and admiration. She recognized that this magic represented a higher form of power, and her brother had already tapped into it, while she remained confined to the basics of normal and runic magic. Despite her envy, she couldn''t help but feel happy for her brother''s newfound potential. "Is chaos magic truly as dangerous as it''s portrayed?" Winry inquired, her eyes shifting between the ongoing duel and Aoto''s plea to halt it. "It''s not inherently bad. No magic is inherently good or evil; it depends on how it''s used. You must have come across this knowledge when you began studying magic. However, chaos magic is particularly perilous to learn independently. Since John has shown a talent for it, it''s better for him to delve into the books and learn how to control it," Aoto replied, emphasizing the importance of understanding and mastery. "John, from now you will concentrate yourself into learning chaos magic and eldritch magic. Go and see if you can enter the Chaos magic section." Aoto said. John nodded and walked out of the arena. Everyone followed behind to see of he could really pass through the invisible that nobody before has been able to cross. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Following John, everyone gathered in the library section where the sign of Chaos magic hung proudly, its bold, crimson letters radiating a mesmerizing red light. John took a deep breath and stepped beyond the invisible barrier. To everyone''s astonishment, John''s foot effortlessly passed through the wall, unimpeded by any rebound force, unlike previous attempts. "Yosh!" "Hurray!" "Congratulations, John." "We''ll have to catch up to him in knowledge." "This is amazing." Excitement surged through everyone as they cheered, their expectations finally realized. Even John himself was overjoyed, repeatedly passing through the border to confirm that it was indeed real. Celebratory cheers filled the air. "That''s wonderful. We must celebrate this joyous occasion. Let''s have a barbecue," Aoto declared. "Of course." "Absolutely!" Others chimed in, eagerly embracing the idea. However, Shikuro was the first to interject, turning to Aoto and speaking up. "We can go after the fight," Shikuro said. Aoto''s mood immediately soured at the unexpected remark. All this time, he had been practicing alongside the others, but it was clear from the start that Aoto lacked knowledge in melee combat and didn''t excel in magic. This made Shikuro think again and come to the conclusion that Aoto might be protected by something which was what happened when Danzo faced when they confronted him on the rooftop that day. While Shikuro had guessed certain things over the past few months, it didn''t mean he would betray Aoto. Firstly, it was impossible for him to betray Aoto. Secondly, he loved his life now like this. And thirdly, he had a very strong feeling that being with Aoto he would be able to protect Konoha more, especially now when he was learning new magic. But Shikuro feared that Aoto wouldn''t be protected always and he could use the cheat as much as he wanted. Thus, he and Corazon had taken on the task of training Aoto in melee combat. It was a grueling process¡ªCorazon''s intense physical conditioning combined with taijutsu training from Shikuro. On top of that, there was the ongoing magic learning. Aoto''s days were packed, filled to the brim with work, studies, and training. He led a strenuous existence, and he secretly wished to avoid the impending fight in the arena. However, it seemed he had been overly optimistic. Though Aoto could easily cheat his way out using the system from within the store, he couldn''t shake the guilt and the desire to improve on his own. He wanted to scream that he didn''t want to be beaten up in this battle, but there was no other option. With a sigh, Aoto approached the arena, facing Shikuro on the opposing side. "Aoto ''Shopkeeper'' Yamazaki versus Shikuro ''Blue Insect'' Aburame. Let the fight begin," the announcer proclaimed. Shikuro raised both of his arms, and a swarm of insects emerged. But instead of a chakra-based attack, the insects transformed into vibrant butterflies, soaring straight towards Aoto. Gasps of awe escaped the onlookers as they witnessed the astonishing sight unfold before them. "Was that transmutation?" Edward gasped. "Seems like it. This guy learnt so much over the past few days?" Corazon mumbled. He and Shikuro had also started fighting each other in order to learn and progress more but Shikuro never showed that he knew transmutation magic before. It was a little higher form of magic which he hadn''t grasped yet. This provided with zeal to improve more as he and Shikuro were in a race to see who would enter the advance sections. 107. You are quite a weak MC The transmuted butterflies swooped in to attack Aoto, leaving him with no choice but to utilize his Tao Mandalas for defense. With both hands, he conjured the Mandalas to shield himself from the oncoming assault. Upon contact, the butterflies exploded, causing Aoto to tremble. He could feel the sheer force of the explosion and shuddered at the thought of the devastation it could cause without magical protection. This man, Shikuro, had been Danzo''s head bodyguard, explaining his ruthlessness. While the Mandalas managed to halt the flying butterflies, it became evident that Shikuro''s attack carried overwhelming magical power. Aoto''s defense was beginning to show signs of faltering under the intense pressure. Although there was no specific system or machine to gauge the magical aptitude of individuals present, the system had provided Aoto with a somewhat detailed understanding of his friends'' magical talents: - Arya: Medium level talent - John: High level talent - Corazon: Medium level talent - Edward: Medium level talent - Winry: Low level talent - Shikuro: High level talent - Aoto: Novice level talent (evolution type talent) The general hierarchy of talent levels ranged from novice to low, medium, high, master, supreme, and god. Aoto found himself at the lowest level of talent, equivalent to Pinako. As a result, he faced significant challenges. His progress in developing his talent was slow, and if he desired to expedite the process, he would need to earn more credits by expanding his business empire worldwide. The system''s assertion that magic could only be a side pursuit and not the main focus proved to be accurate, but Aoto remained resolute. Despite the hardships he encountered, he gritted his teeth and persevered. As the butterflies persisted even after the Mandalas broke down, Aoto evaded them by rolling to the side. He refused to be passively struck and opted to counterattack by conjuring ships to assail Shikuro. Seizing the opportunity while the butterflies were momentarily delayed, Aoto unleashed a long whip towards Shikuro. However, Shikuro was prepared. He summoned Mandalas of his own, effectively defending against Aoto''s assault. With the butterflies now homing in on Aoto once again, he could only launch two attacks before being forced to evade. Aoto continued to dodge, struggling to conjure the Tao Mandalas in one hand while the other refused to cooperate. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Shit," Aoto cursed, bracing himself for the impending shockwave of the blast. Shikuro effortlessly controlled the homing butterflies, preventing them from physically attacking Aoto and causing further harm. However, Aoto had the safety net of the system in his favor, as it was his designated area. Frustrated and exhausted, Aoto finally shouted, "I give up!" The butterflies ceased their onslaught, vanishing into thin air. Aoto let out a sigh of relief. "Shikuro, when did you learn transmutation?" Aoto inquired. "You''ve made significant progress," others chimed in. "Our boss seems to have been beaten down quite badly." "Shikuro and John will have to pay for the food." Amidst congratulations to John and Shikuro, Aoto endured some friendly teasing. Though it initially soured his mood, the thought of the upcoming barbecue lifted his spirits. His friends were merely playfully teasing him, not intending any harm. They cheered him on and encouraged him to perform better in the next arena battle. After showering, they prepared themselves for a satisfying barbecue at a nearby restaurant. "John, why didn''t you enter the section? I''m sure you''re curious," Edward asked, envious of John''s access to a vast array of books. "The books aren''t going anywhere, and I don''t want to rush it. It''s a profound magic, so I want to take it slowly," John replied. "Shikuro, you''ve been quite the cheeky bastard," Corazon remarked. Over time, Corazon and Shikuro had formed a close bond and had even discussed living together to help care for Corazon''s toddler. "Well, I wanted to surprise you. Corazon, why don''t you try combining your abilities with magic? You can come up with new combinations, just like me," Shikuro suggested. "Yes, I''ve been considering that as well," Corazon responded. The group engaged in lighthearted conversation, and Aoto shared the news that they would all begin working the next day. Winry and Edward would open their first automail shop, with Edward handling sales and Winry managing the making and repairing of automails. Corazon would have his manga shop, a separate establishment. As for Aoto, he had decided to sell wine and the magical pouches in a distinct store. The bakery was running smoothly, and Hot Pie would take full control over it. "Cheers to our new journey," Aoto proposed. "Cheers," the others echoed, raising their glasses. Amidst hearty fills and laughter, they bid farewell to the restaurant, leaving behind a generous tip.
The following day, everyone woke up early and began their respective work endeavors. Edward and Winry went straight to their new shop and put up the huge signboard. "Winry''s Automail Shop" Proudly displayed its name as Corazon and Shikuro prepared to open the manga shop. The shelves were already stocked with two popular titles: "Fullmetal Alchemist" and "Demon Slayer" (Kimetsu no Yaiba). "Law Manga," Aoto hoping that the touching story would resonate with the villagers. Meanwhile, Aoto moved to his newly renovated shop, which housed wines and the innovative new pouches. Aoto was confident that the pouches would be a hit, as ninjas often needed to carry food, water, and tools. The compact pouches would streamline the process, rendering bulky bags unnecessary. Furthermore, Aoto was certain that his design couldn''t be easily replicated. "Konoha''s Wine Shop," the sign declared, as all the shops opened on a bright, sunny day. Despite the lingering winter chill, the warm sun brought relief to the people. Aoto had sought Fugaku''s assistance for one particular case. Therefore, when Winry''s automail shop opened at 10 am, a visitor appeared at its doorstep. It was Shisui. Early in the morning, Fugaku had called him, informing him that Aoto had requested his presence at a new shop Aoto had opened with the help of his friends. "Umm.. How can I help in this shop?" Shisui said as he showed in the huge garage looking shop. 108. Those eyes are like mine. On fire! "Ah... Winry, our first patron has graced us with their presence," Edward called out from the counter. Winry was busy tinkering with an intricate automail in the warehouse of their newly established garage. Shisui found himself perplexed; he hadn''t intended to become a customer at the shop, yet curiosity compelled him to stay and learn more about what awaited him. "Hello, and welcome to our esteemed automail emporium," Winry warmly greeted, stepping forward to represent their establishment. As Shisui remained in the dark about automail, he felt compelled to inquire. "Ed, show him," Winry instructed, choosing to let Edward demonstrate rather than explain. With a nod, Edward elevated his leg and placed it on a nearby table. Intrigued, Shisui cast his gaze upon the display. Edward removed his shoe, revealing a metal leg underneath. Shisui''s eyes widened, and he activated his sharingan to examine the mechanical limb more closely. The sight of pure machinery without a hint of flesh astonished him. "What is this?" Shisui couldn''t contain his astonishment and questioned the nature of this extraordinary metal limb. "We hail from a distant place, and this, my friend, is what we call automail. It stands as an extraordinary marvel of advanced prosthetic technology. Crafted by me, it is primarily intended to replace lost or damaged limbs. Aoto must have sent you, knowing that someone in your family suffered a similar loss," Winry explained with enthusiasm, leaving Shisui dumbfounded by the revelation. Indeed, someone in his family had endured such a tragedy¡ªhis father. During the Third Great Ninja War, his father had lost a leg, which ultimately robbed him of his ability to embark on missions, leaving him mired in despair. "Can you truly fashion a functional prosthetic limb?" Shisui inquired, his interest piqued. "While it may not possess the same power as a natural limb, our automail is designed to function just as well. However, since you shinobi put your bodies through rigorous trials, maintenance will be crucial. Rest assured, it will be on par with your original hand or leg," Winry assured. Deep in contemplation, Shisui fell into silence. The endorsement from the clan chief and Aoto was reassuring, but this technology was unprecedented to him. Nonetheless, he desperately wished to aid his father, making this opportunity seem promising. Even if the automail wasn''t built for combat, it would grant his father the ability to walk and lead a more ordinary life. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "My father has lost a limb due to the war. Can I schedule an appointment to bring him here?" Shisui inquired, determined to introduce this life-changing possibility to his father. "No appointment is necessary, especially since we currently have no other clients," Winry responded warmly. Shisui nodded, grateful for the ease of access, and after receiving further advice, he left for home, with the intention of persuading his father to consider this option. He was even prepared to resort to white lies if that meant liberating his father from misery. Witnessing Shisui''s enthusiasm as he left, Winry and Edward exchanged smiles. "According to Aoto, the procedure should not be too painful for jonins," Edward remarked, his own memories of the initial surgery surfacing. "The degree of pain depends on their tolerance and willingness to endure. Additionally, adapting to automail will take considerable time, perhaps even more than your case. I expect a fair share of challenges ahead," Winry responded thoughtfully. "Hey, I didn''t get into fights willingly when I was a state Alchemist." Ed defended and then they started to bicker like old couples about who was responsible for the extensive damage of his automails. Meanwhile, Shisui was in deep thought as he returned to his desolate home. Shisui hesitated outside his father''s room, gathering the courage to broach the sensitive topic. His father had been struggling for years, grappling with the loss of his leg from the horrors of the Third Great Ninja War. The pain in his heart mirrored the pain in his body, and Shisui knew he had to do something to help. With a deep breath, Shisui knocked softly on the door before entering. His father looked up from his chair, acknowledging his presence with a weary smile. "Shisui, is there something you need?" "Yes, Father," Shisui replied, sitting down opposite him. "I''ve been thinking about your leg. It''s been some time since the incident, and I can''t bear to see you in such pain and discomfort. I have found a solution about your leg. They now have something called automail which could be used to replace your leg and make you walk again like normal." His father was confused and had a black face. Shisui went on to explain what an automail was and what he had seen before. His father''s expression wavered between surprise and skepticism. "Are you sure that this automail thing will work?" "Father, it''s worth a try," Shisui insisted gently. "I suppose I could look into it," his father mused, his curiosity piqued. "But I don''t want to burden you with the expenses. These things wouldn''t come cheap from what you tell me." Shisui shook his head. "Don''t worry about that, Father. I''ve been saving up and I am a jonin, and this is important to me. Seeing you happy and able to move freely again is all the payment I need." With everything in order Shisui pushed his father in his wheel chair through the streets of Konoha. His father hadn''t come out of the house for a very long time and he felt a little refreshed and hopeful in this chilly weather which had signs of spiring season already. His father was kind of a hero during the war so he was well greeted from many people even though much of Konoha had been a little hostile towards them. Soon they reached the garage where they saw Edward reading a book which seemed to be a manga. "We are back." Shisui called and this attracted the attention of Ed. He immediately called Winry. Seeing the eyes of Shisui''s father, Ed already knew that they had already landed the first customer. 109. The orphans have something to cheer for It was because he had the same zeal and drive when he first went into surgery when he was young and got himself an automail. In the workshop, the air was filled with the aroma of freshly oiled metal and the soft clinking of tools. Shisui stood beside his father, who looked both intrigued and uncertain about the prospect of a new automail. Winry, with her signature blue bandana and no-nonsense attitude, approached them with a warm smile. "You are back earlier than I expected." Winry said. "What can I say, I just wanted fast resolution." Shisui said, his voice sounding a little excited. Winry turned and looked at his father who was the on the wheelchair. "Hello, Mr. Uchiha. I''ve heard a lot about you.I''m Winry Rockbell, and I''m excited to help you get back on your feet, quite literally!" "Thank you, Miss Winry. I appreciate the offer, but I''m not sure if I can handle something like automail as Shisui here had explained me earlier." "That''s great. Then I wouldn''t need to explain too much. My automail is top-notch, built with precision and care. Plus, I''ve got some extra attachments that I think you''d love. With these, you''ll have the edge you need to reclaim your former strength and abilities." Winry said while winking with one eye. This intrigued both Shisui and his father, because from what Ed had told him, his leg was just as normal like any other natural leg, so what was she talking about? "Extra attachments, you say?" "Oh, absolutely! For Jonin like you who''ve seen it all, I''ve designed a set of enhanced features. There''s a retractable kunai launcher hidden within the automail''s heel which will be faster than normal person throwing it. You''ll be able to surprise enemies with swift and precise strikes." Winry said as she brought out the designs and placed it on the table. Winry had already done her research and thus the designs were ready. His father had gone from hopeful to an enthusiastic person now. "I thought you''d like that one! But wait, there''s more. We can integrate a chakra flow regulator directly into the automail. This will allow you to channel your chakra more efficiently, giving you greater control over your jutsu." Winry said. Over the past few days, Hiruzen had some dead bodies which were being operated by Pinako, Winry and even Edward. They wanted to see what this chakra was and with the help of magic they were able to do some indepth study of this chakra. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Since they were going to open a shop in a world which had chakra they needed to tackle the problem and finally came up with the solution of ''chakra flow generator. Even Aoto helped them with a bit of his technical knowledge. Shisui was now super excited. He could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. "I see the potential in that. But I must admit, I''m still worried about the transition to automail." He had been a jonin for a long time and though he might not be a medical ninja, he for sure that such an advanced thing would require time to get adapted. "It''s natural to feel that way. But trust me, once you get used to it, you''ll find it''s more than just a replacement. It becomes a part of you. And I''ll be here to provide any support and adjustments you might need." Winry said with confidence and pride. She was one of the best in this field and she knew it. His father looked at Shisui who had anticipation in his eyes and really wanted him to take the automail. His father was still young and felt like he had a lot more years in the field again. His father didn''t want to disappoint Shisui at this point because he didn''t want to be a burden to him. He had already thought of paying him back once he was in the field and start earning money. "Well, if you both believe in this, then I''ll give it a try. But promise me, if it gets too much for me, you won''t be disappointed." Shisui''s father looked at Shisui and said. "I promise, Father. Your well-being is what matters most." Shisui said. Shsisui trusted Fugaku and Aoto, they wouldn''t harm him with such a trivial matter. "You have my word too. I''ll do everything I can to make this transition as smooth as possible. And if everything goes well, in future maintenance I will do more customizations which will help you perform more different moves with it " Winry said. With that said, Shisui talked with Ed for the cost. Since this was the first automail, he gave him cheap but on the promise that he would help them advertise to the village to which Shisui readily agreed. This whole process would involve surgery and it would be done at night so he would have to wait. Meanwhile, Winry explained Shisui''s father of how the whole thing worked and how the surgery would go, with Edward giving his point of view since he too had an automail.
While this was happening in Winry''s shop something else was happening in the new shop of Law Manga. A group of orphans were now flooding the shop with cries and exclamations. Since this was the first day of the shop, people were allowed to come in and read freely. There were never a shop dedicated just to comics and manga. This was the first time and thus this thrilled the orphans. "Hey, have you reached the part where Tanjiro meets Giyu? It''s so intense!" "I just finished that part! The demon attacks were so cool, and Tanjiro''s determination is incredible. I can''t wait to see how he becomes a Demon Slayer! I bet they could fight a ninja too. Of course not a jonin but a genin." "But hey, how about "Fullmetal Alchemist"? Is it good?" "It''s more than good. It''s amazing! You know how Edward loses his arm and leg and becomes a State Alchemist? Well, his journey to find the Philosopher''s Stone and get his limbs back and the body of his brother is mind-blowing!" 110. I dont want to be a Hashira Corazon, now back to his normal appearance, observed the young boys with a warm smile. He couldn''t help but wonder about Law and hoped he was safe and well. These boys, just like Law, were orphans, fresh out of the Academy. If Aoto were here, he would have recognized one of them instantly. Iruka Umino. Iruka was Naruto''s first teacher who believed in him when no one else did. He, too, was an orphan who had lost his parents a year ago, leaving a void in his heart. However, his attention was currently captivated by the story of Demon Slayer. What resonated deeply with him was how Tanjiro prayed for the demons he had to kill. It wasn''t just for the one that died during the trial, but even for the minions of Lower Moon, and even during his battles against Daki and Gyutaro. Iruka could see that despite being demons, they were originally human beings with their own histories. Some were simply victims of unfortunate circumstances, blindly ostracized, and driven to act in ways they were never meant to. The story deeply moved him. "Uncle, can I get the whole story?" Iruka approached the counter and asked. "Yes, but you''ll have to buy it and take it home. You can''t read the manga here even if you buy it," Corazon replied, brought back to reality by Iruka''s question. Iruka nodded and instantly paid for the entire manga series, taking advantage of the discounted price when purchased together. The manga volumes were already affordable, and Iruka had managed to save up money by doing side jobs. His friends cheered for him as he bought the entire set of Demon Slayer. "You can read them once I''m done, but you''ll have to come to my home," Iruka said, not wanting someone else to take his manga right away. He had spent his hard-earned money on it and wanted to enjoy reading it in peace. "Don''t worry, Iruka. Just give us a spoiler-free review. I''d love to hear more about the Hashiras. Rengoku was such a great character, if it''s good I will buy later," one of his friends said. "Yes, I will," Iruka promised as he picked up the bunch of manga and walked out. Someone else purchased the full volumes of Fullmetal Alchemist, and the small bookstore continued to cater to the eager readers and fans. As a few more days passed since the incident, Shisui''s father finally underwent the surgery. Initially, the nerves were connected to the skeletal part of the automail, a critical step that Winry and Pinako had to ensure worked without any problems. Shisui''s father was given a day to rest and observe if he felt any pain or discomfort. Thankfully, there were no issues, and within a week, he received the full automail. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "How do you feel?" Winry asked as she assisted Shisui''s father to step down and walk again, although a bit slowly on his new legs. "It''s like I''m being born again. Shisui... I can walk again... I''m sorry, Shisui..." he expressed emotionally. "Why are you apologizing, Father?" Shisui inquired, curious about his father''s words. "I''ve been a burden to you, and now that I can walk again, I hope to do all the work and maybe even become a ninja again," Shisui''s father replied, showing his determination. "Father, I''ve been telling you this for a long time. You were never a burden to me. Take your time to get used to it, and please don''t rush. We''re just happy to see you alright," Shisui reassured him, a great sense of relief and happiness washing over him. "There might be some initial discomfort as you get used to walking with the exoskeleton. You''ll need to come back for maintenance, and we''ll upgrade it with better equipment and boosts," Winry advised. Both of them accepted her guidance and walked out of the workshop. Meanwhile, Aoto was having a blast. While there weren''t any Palico sales yet, the wine and pouch sales were soaring. On the very first day, he excitedly invited Hiruzen to his new shop, promising something intriguing. Hiruzen couldn''t resist the invitation, even leaving his unfinished work behind. Anything new from Aoto was a big deal. Thanks to computers, his tasks had become faster and easier, and he could rely on spreadsheets for calculations and graphical presentations to the Anbu and ninjas of Konoha, considerably reducing his workload. With his curiosity piqued, he wanted to see what novel creation Aoto had come up with this time. "What is this?" Hiruzen asked as he examined a durable and stretchable cloth bag. "A pouch that can hold a lot of things. Try inserting your hand, Hokage-sama," Aoto replied. Curiously, Hiruzen inserted his hand and immediately received a mental image of the contents inside. It felt as if the chakra flow in his body connected to his brain, revealing the items within the bag. Among various items, the highlight was the vast space inside, capable of holding numerous things. "What... is this?" Hiruzen was dumbfounded. "It''s a magical pouch with an extensive storage space for non-living objects." "You created a separate space inside a cloth bag?" Hiruzen was in awe. This was yet another groundbreaking discovery. Had Aoto mastered Yin-Yang to such an extent that he could create an entirely different space now? "Yes, after numerous trials and errors, it finally succeeded." "You are a genius, Aoto! What you''ve created will make Konoha the greatest village ever," Hiruzen couldn''t help but praise. With the assistance of Palicos, Konoha was already excelling at the borders with fewer casualties in missions. Now, this pouch would prove to be another game-changing addition to their arsenal. "Isn''t Konoha already the greatest village since it was established?" Aoto asked. "That is true but Konoha needs constant improvements if it wants to continue being that. You will be one of the pillars of Konoha, I am sure." "I don''t want to be a Hashira, Hokage-sama. I am fine with what I am doing. By the way soon there would be special kunai being sold and you will have to come and look of what you want to do about it." Aoto said, not caring that his pouch had blown the mind of Hiruzen. (In Japanese Hashira = pillar ) 111. This invention is better than you think "Unbreakable kunai? An alloy that strong?" Hiruzen was taken aback by Aoto''s revelation. "Yes, I''ve created an alloy that''s virtually unbreakable under any circumstances," Aoto confirmed. "Adamantium, you called it? Remarkable! But what''s the problem?" Hiruzen inquired. "While Adamantium is incredibly strong, I can make it chakra-conducive with the right metals, but those metals can only be found in the Land of Iron," Aoto explained. "Calm down, Aoto. Let''s not get ahead of ourselves. Before discussing this, what are your plans for the magical pouch?" Hiruzen redirected the conversation. "I intend to sell them, of course," Aoto replied matter-of-factly. "Hmm... Konoha wishes to have exclusive rights to it," Hiruzen declared. "Think it through, Hokage-sama. Think of it carefully. Palicos can be exclusive to Konoha and I don''t have problem with it, but if you want to make the pouch exclusive, all this will do is make Konoha the target when they go out in missions because one day or other this thing would come out in the open and people will suspect once they go through someone''s bag and this will lead to a huge problem," Aoto reasoned. Hiruzen pondered over Aoto''s words, recognizing the validity of his concerns. If they suddenly showcased advanced technology on the battlefield, it could attract unwanted attention and suspicion. "What do you suggest then?" Hiruzen inquired. "As a businessman, I propose selling them within Konoha initially and later to villages that are our allies or neutral. This way, Konoha will generate revenue and avoid drawing unnecessary attention from enemies," Aoto proposed. Hiruzen fell silent, understanding the logic in Aoto''s plan. He needed to carefully consider whom to ally with in this regard. "Take your time, Hokage-sama. But I will need to travel to the Land of Iron to procure the materials for the enhanced kunai and ninja tools," Aoto informed him. "Travel to the Land of Iron? That can be arranged. However, you''ll be accompanied by a special jonin," Hiruzen decided. "That''s up to you, but if you''re interested in regular Adamantium tools, they''ll soon be available at Winry''s shop," Aoto mentioned, understanding that the Hokage was more intrigued by the magical pouch for the time being. After discussing the details and payment for the magical pouch, Hiruzen left the shop with delight. He quickly summoned his subordinates to rush over to Aoto''s shop and purchase the invaluable items. This invention was too essential to be left on Aoto''s shelves. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. He called the Anbu and asked them to show up at the new shop of Aoto and buy the magical pouch. Suffice to say that the shinobis were excited after Hokage explained and showed what it was. This thing would allow them to carry ninja tools, tents, cooking devices and food. This in turn will help them perform better in missions. In long missions this would be a boon for the shinobis. The next day a bunch of shnobis showed up in order to buy this magical pouch. In long missions, they needed supplies and this pouch could help them carry supplies instead of just carrying the military pills developed by Tsunade. Though they were good and served the cause, but it did have problem taking this for longer period of time. He was taken aback seeing the enthusiasm of the shinobis. He couldn''t help but ask the reason behind this feverous attitude. "You are not a shinobi in the field so you don''t understand. Though we can summon ninja tools using scrolls, it involves using chakra and removing the seals on the scrolls. That is already slow for shinobis who are not habituated to the scrolls and thus many people instead of using scrolls carry a bag. Otherwise, we would have carried seal scrolls all the time instead of using bags. Your pouch will not only allow us easy access to tools but also help us carry food and other items which are required in missions. You have no idea of how much your invention is going to change Konoha." Aoto got a general idea of what was going on and understand why Hiruzen was so visibly excited when he got to know of the pouch. He had underestimated the pouch by quite some degree. But it was fine as long as the people continued buying from him. The other reason why he talked about the Land of Iron was because that the system had given him a mission. He didn''t actually expect the system to give him one but after Aoto settled all the shops the system chimed in. [ Mission for the host : The host needs to go to the Land of Iron and find the various metals required to make Adamantium chakra conductive alloy and thus making the greatest alloy to be made kunai and ninja tools with. The system will provide the tools for the host to detect the metals on the Land of Iron. Time stipulated for the host : Before the host reaches the next update. ] Aoto wasn''t thrilled about the mission and felt that his life could be in danger. Nevertheless, he appreciated that the system had given him ample time to complete it. With vague calculations indicating it would take around two years to sell all the items provided by the system, he felt less pressured. Determined to make the most of the time, Aoto devoted himself to not only actively selling items but also learning magic. While his bodyguard would accompany him during the mission, he knew the importance of being capable of defending himself. Meanwhile, the story of automail began to spread, especially after Shisui''s father expressed his desire to retake the chunin exam. Initially, the examiners laughed at the idea of a crippled man attempting the exam again, but their laughter turned into astonishment when they saw the metal leg, which functioned like a normal leg. They promptly reported this incredible development to Hiruzen. News about the automail and how Aoto''s new friends had helped a crippled man walk again and gain the confidence to take the chunin exams began to circulate throughout Konoha. It was an unprecedented event that touched the hearts of many. As a result, that night, Hiruzen visited not Aoto''s home, but the home of Winry and Ed. Both of them had decided to move in together and were now in a live-in relationship. Their act of kindness had brought about a significant change in Shisui''s father''s life, and the Hokage wanted to personally show his appreciation and admiration for their actions. 112. Konoha is changing fast Aoto requested the system to keep an eye on the conversation between Winry and Hiruzen about automail. The discussion went as follows: "What is Automail?" asked Hiruzen. "It''s a prosthetic connected via nerves, capable of enabling a crippled person to walk or function like a normal individual," Winry explained. "And what are its uses?" "It can be utilized for regular purposes and can also be enhanced for combat," Winry replied. Hiruzen then inquired if they could produce automail for Konoha. Winry acknowledged the possibility but mentioned that it would take time, and if there were many clients, they would have to wait for their turns. Hiruzen was willing to compromise on the time and requested Winry to help Konoha''s people who had lost limbs in prior wars. This gesture would boost their strength to some extent, if not significantly. Aoto smiled as he learned the gist of the conversation. As promised, the Hokage sent the shop crippled shinobi to Winry for them to be operated on, with the hope of bringing them back into missions. It was a win-win situation, and Hiruzen''s vigilance and attention to Aoto allowed him to stay updated on the happenings around him. A few weeks passed, and Shisui''s father successfully passed the chunin exams with flying colors. He showcased the power of his automail during the final selection, earning cheers from the people of Konoha. Only one person had undergone the operation after Shisui''s father, and though Hiruzen encouraged other crippled men and women to visit Winry''s garage, not many did. However, the chunin exam selection gave many people hope, and Winry''s garage was soon to have numerous customers. Aoto, on the other hand, didn''t bother with this and even skipped watching the chunin exams. Due to the lingering tension from the Third Great Ninja War, only their own village was invited to the event, as the borders were still sensitive and would take some years to calm down. As this was happening in the realm of exams and shinobis, the Victoria Secrets shop had received people who didn''t live in the village for the first time. The women who visited the shop belonged to the entourage of the daimyo of Land of Fire. The wife of daimyo along with her maids and butler had visited the shop of Victoria Secrets. The lingerie of Victoria Secrets had already become famous among the people of Konoha, especially the women and when the cosmetic items came in, it just hit the stratosphere. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Arya was actually being annoyed by the number of people who had been flocking into her shop and had to ask help from Ayame in order to cater the women who visited their shop. Today, was just another normal day for her with loads of customers but once the wife of daimyo walked in, she knew that this was a person with status so she didn''t dare to slack off and showed cosmetics, how to use them and lingerie. Over the course of time Arya had taught herself how to use the beauty cosmetics using foundation, toner, face blush, eyeshadow and such other parts by reading through the different instructions that came with the system products. Her cosmetics had become so famous that even people from outside the village had come to inquire about them. Aoto found this rather peculiar since he expected more regular items to gain fame rather than female beauty enhancers. Nonetheless, the daimyo''s wife visited the shop and splurged a substantial amount, buying a week''s worth of profits in a single spree. While Arya was happy about the sales, she was also a bit frustrated. She had to maintain a constant smile and deal with the lady''s numerous questions. Her cheeks even hurt from forcing the smile. If she wasn''t an influential figure like the Queen of Westeros, she would have been tempted to use her magic to slap her. "After the lady shows up again, Ayame, you''ll be in charge," Arya declared after the daimyo''s wife left. "Hehehe... Arya, it''s amusing to see you irritated like this. It makes you look cute," Ayame responded with a giggle, earning an eye roll from Arya. Meanwhile, Pinako was having a great time. Her shop was far away, and she only needed to spend a few hours there in the evening. The rest of her day was spent either at the hospital or assisting Winry with surgeries if there were any appointments. Upon learning that Pinako was a doctor at a young age, Hiruzen asked her to visit the hospital and school occasionally if possible. Pinako gladly accepted, enjoying the occasional love and appreciation from strangers and having nothing better to do anyway. As for Edward, he sought help from the Cryptology department to propagate the use of solar panels for electricity production in homes. Initially, the department was skeptical about the technology that could turn sunlight directly into electrical energy. However, when Edward presented evidence of its feasibility, they were astonished. "At first I entertained you since you have the recommendation of Aoto, but I guess I will have to look at you in different eyes from now on. I am Inoichi Yamanaka, head of the department. I will transfer you to the technological department." Inoichi said. Then he decided to transfer Edward to the technological department, acknowledging his potential. Edward refrained from boasting about being better than Aoto, remembering the incredible computers in this world that were the pinnacle of human technology. He happily moved to the technological department and discussed the use of solar panels with the experts. The department was thrilled with the idea, but some adjustments were necessary before the panels could be distributed and sold for everyday use. Edward was committed to the project and dedicated time to it while also learning magic. Thus with those things everything was right on track. In this way few more months had passed by. And the last few months, Konoha had gone under some significant changes. One might not be able to see if one entered Konoha and was just casually looking around but from the inside, the people of Konoha themselves were a little surprised how Konoha was changing fast. 113. My dress-up darling It had been nearly a year since the curious introduction of Windows 98 computers, and the villagers had warmly embraced these new wonders. Solar panels adorned the roofs of homes and public buildings, glistening under the sun, capturing its energy to power the new-age machines and illuminate the village streets by night. Although not every rooftop had been equipped with solar panels, the change was evident. Some rooftops even boasted solar geysers, efficiently keeping water warm during cold winters without wasting energy. Konoha had undergone significant transformation during this time. A few villagers now sported automail, mechanical limbs replacing their natural ones. One individual even had an automail eye, surprisingly, a member of the Uchiha clan. However, nobody mocked or ridiculed him, as he had lost the eye during war while defending himself against an attacker. Tragically, he ultimately succumbed to his injuries at the hands of the same assailant. Other than that, there was a huge change in the shinobi sector too. Edward was finally able to make the strongest alloy kunai and ninja tools. More powerful and strong than the black receivers of Pain and other wielders of Rinnegan. Of course Aoto wasn''t going to come out and speak it openly but he knew that the Admantium was definitely the most powerful alloy out there. Other than that magical pouch was another thing that made the lives of a shinobi easier. They had been taking those on missions and until now there wasn''t any mishaps with them as every shinobi was konoha was asked to hide it. And if there was a reason to believe that they might die, they were asked to burn the cloth before they do so. This thing should be hidden as long as possible. But Konoha had been better now since the introduction of Palico, better medical facilities and the magical pouch. According to statistics, Konoha''s death rates had declined, and their missions were more successful, all thanks to Aoto Yamazaki. The positive changes weren''t limited to men alone; women also experienced improvements in their lives, from better makeup and lingerie to more effective medicines. It was a win-win situation for everyone, with the village thriving in various aspects. Four months ago, Edward, driven by frustration and determination, embarked on the ambitious project of building a radio station in the village. This innovative endeavor was unprecedented in Konoha, as radio stations and receivers were entirely new concepts. With the help of skilled individuals, Edward set up the station above Winry''s garage, and in no time, the radio station was fully operational, offering radios for purchase to the villagers. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The Hokage was impressed with the idea of the radio station and saw its potential during emergencies. He decided to have one installed near his office, so he could use it to broadcast important messages to the entire village when needed. He also urged the citizens of Konoha to support this new technology by purchasing radios exclusively from Winry''s garage, as they possessed the knowledge and expertise to build them. Aoto fully supported Edward''s efforts, understanding that Konoha couldn''t immediately transition into the digital era, but the introduction of such modern technologies could be done gradually. Furthermore, Edward had proposed the idea of a mobile radio tower, which essentially meant mobile communications. The technology department of Konoha, with Edward''s invaluable assistance, had already begun working on implementing his ideas. Edward had provided them with numerous innovative concepts, and the department was so impressed that they wanted to appoint him as the head of the department. However, Edward politely declined the offer even before they could formally ask him. The sun was shining brightly over Konoha today, autumn had just arrived so the weather wasn''t much hot or cold. The leaves around had turned from green to quite a variety of flowers. Most of them were on the streets or on rooftops which were being lifted off by breezy wind once in while. On this particular day, Aoto was standing near the huge gate of Konoha while wearing a black boots and a proper Konoha shinobi outfit. And he wasn''t alone. John and Corazon were with him too and they too in proper Konha outfit. Only difference was that they weren''t wearing a Konoha band. John had sword on his waist while Corazon was just as normal with a small bag on his shoulder. And they weren''t alone. There was Kakashi, Guy and a very young Itachi. They had all gathered for a mission, one that would take them to the Land of Iron. Aoto, being treated as a national treasure, was accompanied by Kakashi and Guy, both special jonins, along with Itachi, who had recently passed the chunin exams. Aoto had interacted quite a bit with all three of them, with Guy being the least familiar, but they were acquainted nonetheless. "Kakashi, let''s make a run and see who reaches the Land of Iron first. The winner will accept that he''s better than the other," Guy proposed with a playful tone. "Guy, you''re already better than me, so why bother with the competition?" Kakashi responded, sighing good-naturedly. Kakashi and Guy appeared much younger now than during their time of teaching the younger generation, but their playful dynamic remained unchanged. Currently, Kakashi was engrossed in reading a manga called ''My Dressup Darling,'' a sweet romantic story about a boy who made dolls and a girl who loved cosplaying. He was thoroughly enjoying the story, even blushing at certain points. Itachi joined them, equipped with a small sword on his back. Despite his age, he appeared composed and ready to undertake the mission of escorting Aoto safely to the Land of Iron and back. Fugaku had considered accompanying them on the trip, fearing that Aoto might become a target due to his abilities. The Uchiha clan had been gradually amassing wealth through the sale of medicines like Viagra and contraceptives like condoms. 114. He will die soon So of course Fugaku wasn''t ready to lose such a good wealth machine and almost was ready to go himself. Until Aoto convinced him otherwise. Danzo was too much of a chicken to go after him after what he did. And even if he and others came, he had the way to escape so he wasn''t that concerned about him. The only thing he lacked was the speed and precision and for that Kakashi and Guy were there. Fugaku accepted on the promise that Itachi would go. Itachi had just turned 7 and though he hadn''t activated his Sharingan yet, he was still an accomplished chunin. "Guy-san, Kakashi-san, Itachi-kun, I will be in your care." Aoto said while bowing his head in proper Japanese style. He was really grateful for their help. "Don''t mention it. It''s just a mission and in addition I want to talk with Corazon here who is selling these awesome books. I want to know more about his future sales." Kakashi said. Guy and Itachi just smiled. "Yosh let''s go." Guy said and he almost made a run but then remembered that Aoto and others weren''t shinobis so they couldn''t just be monkeys and just jump from tree to tree. Land of Iron was far so it would some days reach there and then there was the political problem. Land of Iron or the land of samurai was a neutral ground since they didn''t have any allies with any shinobi nation and their ideology was completely different. Though they did have chakra, they were mostly good in swordsmanship. One of the reasons why John wanted to go was because of that and another reason was him being the strongest mage among them. His chaos and eldritch magic had bloomed in the last few months as he had learnt a lot. And of course Corazon would follow him as he was the bodyguard. In fact Shikuro wanted to come to but he had a son and Aoto wanted someone like him to look after the safety and security of his employees. Aoto had never walked out of Konoha since he had come to this world so he wanted to take in the scenery. But he was disappointed after walking for a few hours because the forest didn''t seem to end at all. "No wonder the shinobis seemed to jump on trees for endless hours in the anime, because its fucking unending." Aoto thought. Though he was disappointed with everything around it didn''t mean he would ruin the mood doing nothing. He indulged himself while on the way eating snacks that Hot Pie had made and was quite happy about it. "When is the forest going to end?" After walking for 7 straight hours, Aoto couldn''t help but ask while they were having lunch. Corazon was making the food that he had brought in his pouch and everyone was relishing his cooked food. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Tomorrow if we are lucky and maintain the same pace and 2 days to reach the border." Itachi said as he looked at the map. "Jesus." Aoto mumbled under his breath. After their lunch, they resumed their journey on foot, feeling relieved that no one had attempted to rob them so far. It appeared that the Uchihas responded promptly to Corazon''s attack, swiftly taking action to address the situation in and around Konoha by apprehending the bandits responsible. Fugaku seethed with anger, strongly suspecting that these marauders had been dispatched by Danzo to tarnish the Uchiha clan''s reputation. However, he lacked the concrete evidence needed to substantiate his claims. With a few more hours of walking ahead, they eventually decided to make camp and rest for the night. "I''ll take the first shift as lookout. You all can get some sleep," Itachi declared. Kakashi couldn''t help but sigh inwardly; he had already heard many tales about Itachi''s prowess, and now, up close, he could witness the makings of a truly remarkable shinobi. "Itachi, you should relax a bit. The palicos can handle watch duty," Aoto suggested. But Itachi firmly declined, and Aoto could only sigh in response. This young man was undeniably serious about everything he did, a characteristic that didn''t bother Aoto at all. He signaled to Corazon to join Itachi in keeping watch. Over the past few months, Corazon had been diligently practicing not only magic but also Haki. Haki, a spiritual power from the world of One Piece, possessed three distinct forms: Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror''s Haki. Observation Haki involved sensing and predicting an enemy''s moves, as well as detecting the presence of others in the vicinity. Armament Haki, on the other hand, granted the ability to harden one''s body, making it as tough as steel. Lastly, Conqueror''s Haki, in its basic form, allowed one to render weak-minded individuals unconscious without any physical action. Each form of Haki was formidable in its own right, especially when honed to its full potential. Haki was an indispensable skill for anyone aspiring to rise to the top of the One Piece world. Aoto staunchly believed in Corazon''s need to master Haki alongside his magic training. The combination of the two would provide a significant advantage, especially since Corazon had the privilege of being trained by Sengoku, which gave him a solid understanding of Haki''s principles. As a result, Corazon devoted himself to the arduous practice of Haki. After putting in considerable effort, he finally managed to grasp the basics of Observation Haki. Although he couldn''t match Luffy''s rapid learning curve and growth through battles, acquiring even a modicum of Haki was an impressive milestone for Corazon. As a result, Corazon turned out to be an exceptional lookout, even during his resting hours. Aoto and the rest of the group could now rest with confidence. Later in the night, Kakashi took over the watch duty. Two days passed in their journey, with a heavy downpour slowing them down on one occasion. Despite the setback, they managed to reach the renowned Samurai Bridge on the third day¡ªthe very bridge that spelled Danzo''s demise in the original story. As they beheld the bridge, Aoto couldn''t help but sigh, contemplating how Danzo would never live long enough to see this landmark. He was determined to ensure Danzo''s downfall. "The Samurai Bridge. Once we cross it, we shall find ourselves on the borders of the Land of Iron," Itachi said as he brought out the map to make sure. 115. What a cliche After crossing the bridge, Aoto gazed around with curiosity, appreciating the breathtaking beauty of the Land of Iron. The scenic views made him realize that it would be a tragedy to witness such splendor be marred by destruction ¨C all the more reason to eliminate Danzo. As they continued their journey, they eventually reached a village. The weather had turned noticeably colder, in line with the Land of Iron''s characteristic snowy climate for most of the year. Passing through several villages was becoming quite routine by this point. The villages in the Land of Fire were abundant in resources, mainly centered around agriculture, with rice fields and other crops adorning their path. Some villages even displayed ingenuity, converting forests into arable land for planting vegetables and fruits. This abundance of natural resources was part of the reason why the Land of Fire and Konoha attracted attention from neighboring villages. However, as they neared the village bordering the Land of Iron, the sight was different from the previous affluent villages. This particular village seemed impoverished, and it was evident that the people here were struggling to lead ideal lives. Aoto felt a tinge of sadness, understanding that he couldn''t change their circumstances at this moment. His long-term goal was to elevate the standard of living worldwide, but it required significant influence and the help of the system, a lofty ambition for the future. While walking through the village, a group of ragged children of around 4 years old emerged seemingly out of nowhere. Their sunken cheeks and tattered clothing revealed the dire state of malnutrition they were in. One of the children approached Aoto and tugged at his pants. Witnessing their condition, Aoto''s eyebrows furrowed, and he took out a banana from his pouch, handing it to the child. The child''s eyes lit up at the sight of food and eagerly devoured the banana. Aoto smiled and reassured, "Calm down. There''s more for everyone." Seeing this, the other children gathered with pleading eyes. Aoto couldn''t help but sigh, producing a dozen bananas to distribute among them. The children''s joy was palpable, and though the villagers around observed the commotion, they kept their distance. Perhaps Aoto and the others'' headbands were a taboo in this region, or maybe the villagers were just content that the children were getting some much-needed food. Curious about their circumstances, Aoto asked, "Where are your parents?" "We don''t have them. They died in the war," one of the children replied honestly. Aoto was taken aback; he hadn''t expected the children here to be orphans. The others in his group remained silent, not interrupting Aoto''s interaction with the children. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Mr. Banana man.. Are you a shinobi?" asked the curious child. "Banana man? Hey, I have a name ¨C Aoto Yamazaki. And no, I''m not a shinobi," Aoto replied, feeling somewhat irritated by the name the child had given him. John, Kakashi, and Corazon couldn''t help but chuckle at the humorous moniker. "You''re lying! You have the Konoha headband. Only shinobi have those headbands," the child insisted. "Hehe, well, that''s true, but what if I bribed them to give me a headband?" Aoto joked. "Really? You have that much money?" The child was amazed at the thought of someone having enough money to buy a headband and bribe others. "Maybe I do. What''s your name, kid?" Aoto asked. "Takeshi," the child replied. "Hmm.. Here''s some money so that you can eat for a few days." Aoto took out some ryo from his pocket and extended it towards Takeshi, speaking in a hushed tone to ensure nobody else overheard their conversation. Surprisingly, Takeshi and the other children shook their heads in refusal, leaving Aoto puzzled. "If you''re worried about someone stealing the money, don''t be. It''s for you," Aoto reassured them. "We don''t want money. We thought you were a shinobi, so we approached you," Takeshi explained. "Oh, what does being a shinobi have to do with offering help?" Aoto asked, genuinely confused. "Our friend... Our friend... He fell off a cliff... We don''t have anyone here who can help us," Takeshi said, tears streaming down his face. The other children followed suit, their distress evident. Aoto''s tone softened, and with sincerity in his voice, he urged, "Please, tell us what happened. Even though I''m not a shinobi, these people here are. We''ll do what we can to help." Takeshi then recounted how they were playing in the nearby woods, close to a cliff that led down to the river. During their playtime, one of their friends accidentally slipped off the cliff and got stuck on the way down. Although the boy wasn''t seriously injured, they lacked anyone brave enough to climb down and bring him back up. Aoto listened attentively, and his eyes conveyed his willingness to assist. He glanced at Corazon and the others, silently seeking their support. Itachi appeared uncertain, sensing something amiss, but deferred to Kakashi, the captain of the group. "I think we can take a detour and help them, but we should remain alert," Kakashi said cautiously. "Thank you," Aoto expressed his gratitude. Kakashi continued, "Since you''re the one who is leading mission, your decision carries weight. However, you''ll have to stay behind me during this small side mission we''re taking on." "Don''t worry, Corazon here will always protect me," Aoto reassured. "He''s a shinobi?" Kakashi inquired. "Something like that," Aoto replied with a smile. Corazon also smiled in response to Kakashi''s curious gaze, but they understood it wasn''t the right time for further explanations. And so, the group prepared to assist the children and embark on this unforeseen side mission. They followed the children and before hey could even reach the cliff, Corazon tugged his back. Aoto turned around only to see Corazon shaking his head. He already knew what Corazon meant with that shake. This was an ambush! One of the clich¨¦ ambush ever. But Aoto was more furious. Not because the children had betrayed him but because who uses such young children as bait for ambush? He wanted to get to the bottom of it. 116. Another Rickon is dead After they approached the cliff, a rustle among the trees revealed a few men slowly emerging, perched on the thick branches of the leafy trees. Kakashi and the others, already on high alert, cautiously positioned themselves back to back with Aoto in the middle. As they did so, the children quietly crept away, much to the disappointment of Kakashi and his companions. They had intended to help the children, and their response was disheartening. "We brought them. Now please let our friend go. We beg you." "Yes. Please. We have everything possible. Please let Kirin go, please." Takeshi and the other children begged as their eyes became wet. One of the man was held a young girl in his hand while pointing the kunai at her neck. "Takeshi.. everyone.. You came back.. You shouldn''t have.. Leave. This is dangerous." The young girl named Kirin said while having tears in her eyes. Even at her age she was being sensible and knew what was right and wrong. Everyone, including Aoto, assumed that these children had been bribed into their actions, but the truth was different. These men had coerced the children into participating. Aoto''s fury surged, and he was prepared to fight these people to the end. Aoto didn''t possess an overly strong sense of justice, as the world was often filled with shades of gray rather than clear-cut right and wrong. However, the exploitation of children as mere tools was something he detested. They were innocent youngsters, not expendable pawns. The young girl held captive was nearly the same age as Takeshi and the others, with fair skin and greenish-black hair. The shinobi wore headbands that belonged to the Land of Waterfalls and hailed from the village of Takigakure. Takigakure, the same village Kakuzu had once belonged to. The village that had once assigned him the impossible mission of assassinating Hashirama. Killing Hashirama might not have been impossible, but it certainly was beyond Kakuzu''s capabilities. "Takigakure. You''re quite a distance from your village. Why are you here?" Kakashi inquired solemnly. The man holding the young child spoke dismissively, paying no attention to Takeshi. "Hatake Kakashi, the renowned copy ninja. I couldn''t believe it when I heard the news that you''re so close to the borders of the Land of Iron. It must be raining money today," the man remarked. This remark only heightened the seriousness of the situation. It was evident that these people were aware of Kakashi and his group and had come here purposefully. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "What do you want?" Guy grew irritated and ready to take action. "You have quite the bounty on your head, Kakashi, after what you did to Kumogakure (Village hidden in the clouds) and what your father did to Sunagakure (Village hidden in the sand). I won''t let such a high bounty slip away, especially when you''re so far from home and on neutral ground. I don''t understand why you''re here, but that''s none of my concern. Now, it''s time to pay visit to hell and let us take your head." The man said and raised his kunai to throw at Kakashi , along with others. But before he and others could do so, Takeshi and others came running and shouted. "Please spare Kirin from this. Our only desire is to have our friend returned. Once you release him, we''ll part ways peacefully. Please," pleaded Takeshi and the others. The man grew even more agitated by their pleas, and without any warning, he stabbed the kunai right into Kirin''s neck, then flung her forcefully towards Takeshi. The horrifying scene left everyone, including Itachi and the others, wide-eyed and in shock. Kirin landed beside Takeshi, who was paralyzed with disbelief. The reality of what had just transpired was unimaginable. Kirin''s body lay on the ground, her bones likely broken from the impact, and before anyone could react, she passed away. Takeshi rushed to her side and cradled her in his arms. "Kirin... No... You''re alright, Kirin... No," Takeshi pleaded, unable to accept the truth. Kirin''s clothes were now soaked in blood, and her once vibrant eyes were now lifeless. With no response from her, Takeshi let out a heart-wrenching scream. Meanwhile, John''s anger had been simmering beneath the surface, but witnessing yet another child''s death right before his eyes triggered memories of his own brother, Rickon, whom he had been unable to save. The flood of emotions intensified the rage in his eyes as he glared at the man responsible for this heinous act. Until now, John had kept his emotions in check, hoping to secure Aoto''s and the children''s safety, but now all bets were off. John swiftly moved his wrist, and radiant, small, bright hues manifested above his head, captivating everyone''s attention amidst the cloud-filled sky. In an instant, the brilliant colors transformed into ethereal blades, each bearing a unique and mesmerizing design. The unexpected sight left everyone astonished, witnessing blades hanging in the air as if defying gravity. But John had no interest in the gasps of those around him. With determined precision, he sent a trio of blades hurtling towards the man responsible for the girl''s death. The man sensed the blades homing in on him and swiftly wielded his kunai in an attempt to deflect the fast-flying swords. Though he managed to parry three of the blades, it was no easy task. The sheer momentum of those large and heavy swords required all his strength to contend with. However, as he focused on countering those three, two more swords materialized near him, catching him off guard. Before he could react, one of the blades pierced straight through the man''s neck. The initial impact of the stab was agonizing, but the broad breadth of the blades ensured that his head was severed in a swift, brutal motion. Forget about the Waterfall shinobis, Kakashi, Guy and Itachi looked at John with wide eyes. They never expected an man who was known for selling some chicken in KFC had that kind of ability. "Everyone, we need to take care of them." Corazon was also angry and in the next moment, as his hands shone and Tao Mandalas appeared. 117. Where is he from? Guy and others looked at the shining shields at the hands of both Corazon and Aoto. They didn''t expect this but now they were more sure of being able to take these scums down. "Alright, everyone! Let''s show them the power of our teamwork!" Guy shouted. As the battle commenced, Guy charged forward with his "Leaf Gale" technique, creating powerful whirlwinds that swept away the Shinobis. "Feel the might of my Leaf Gale!" Seizing the opportunity, John conjured more blades using chaos magic. With a flick of his wrist, John launched the conjured blades like projectiles, striking the Shinobis with incredible accuracy and force. The surrounding shinobis came back to realization that one of them was killed but it didn''t make them handicapped. He wasn''t the leader to begin with. Corazon and Kakashi sprang into action, leaping onto the trees to confront the approaching shinobi, while Itachi stood protectively beside Aoto. "Soru," Corazon called out, executing his swift movement technique. He deftly evaded the incoming kunai and delivered a powerful punch to the shinobi''s back using his Tao Mandalas and immense strength. The Tao Mandalas, known for their unbreakable nature, amplified the force of his punch, shattering the enemy''s spine. Kakashi, on the other hand, showed no mercy. He skillfully parried an oncoming shinobi''s attack with his kunai and then swiftly struck him from behind with a shuriken. Though the man didn''t perish immediately, he cried out in pain as the shuriken pierced his leg. Being a below-average chunin, he lacked the need for chakra-consuming attacks. Meanwhile, John, Aoto, and Itachi remained on the ground near the children, shielding them from harm. John utilized his chaos magic to conjure an array of swords, which he hurled towards the shinobi like giant shurikens and kunai. This was something that Aoto gave him the idea about when John had started learning chaos magic. Unlike Wanda, for whom, chaos magic came natural to her, he didn''t have that much high control. John''s proficiency with chaos magic was still a work in progress, unlike Wanda, but he had made great strides in the past few months, culminating in this moment of deadly and mesmerizing swordplay. Aoto placed massive Tao Mandalas in front of the children, creating a barrier to safeguard them from kunai attacks. The attackers had their sights set on Kakashi and Guy, making Aoto and the children a lesser concern. However, with John relentlessly launching projectiles, the pressure on Kakashi, Guy, and Corazon eased, granting them some respite to focus on the adversaries. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. But it wasn''t all flowers and roses for Aoto and his team. Out of nowhere, a man with a bandana on his head and spiky green hair appeared out of nowhere and attacked Aoto from behind. He had a sword in hand. Well, sword wouldn''t be the correct word here. He held a long jagged blade made entirely out of solid ice. This blade looked like Samehada of Kisame, only in this case it was lifeless and was just a ninjutsu technique. (Yes, it''s in anime and novel. And no, its not Ice release. It is an exclusive technique of Land of Waterfalls) The man had an evil smile on his lips as he attacked Aoto only to be stopped by the sword of Itachi. "Kid, you look like someone who has seen some heavy shit in the world. I like it." The man said. Itachi didn''t reply and attacked the man in response after parrying him. Itachi was great in kenjutsu and thus was able to keep up with the man. John beside wanted to help Itachi but he wasn''t sure as his projectile might prove deadly to Itachi himself. Before they had started their journey, Kakashi had already spoken about what they would need to do once there was an attack. Guy and Kakashi was responsible for the frontal attack and Itachi as defense. It was happening the same here but only in this case they had more help in the form of Corazon and John which was an welcoming one. "Kuchiyose : Mizu no Y¨­kai no Gisei" ( Summoning : Sacrifice of Water Spirits) The man shouted as he bit his finger and hit it on the ground. A shimmering circle of symbols formed beneath his feet, and a solemn aura enveloped him. With a heavy heart, he offered a small vial of pure water to the spirits of the river, seeking the aid of his summoning beasts. And from nowhere emerged giant, luminous koi fish. Their scales glinted with hues of sapphire and gold, and they floated gracefully in the air, defying the laws of nature. The koi fish were no ordinary beings; they were water spirits, bound by their pact with the man. The man''s name was Suien, a renowned jonin from the Land of Waterfalls. He had taken charge of the mission after receiving information that Kakashi had arrived with a talented chunin, believed to be a great genius. Suien dispatched his subordinates to distract Guy and Kakashi, intending to launch a proper attack. However, he hadn''t anticipated the unexpected assault from John and Corazon, resulting in the loss of his shinobi even before they could strike. With no other option, Suien set his sights on Itachi, who was in a defensive stance. Aoto wanted to intervene, but John insisted on holding him back, realizing that Aoto wouldn''t be fast enough and might be killed in the process. Meanwhile, the koi fishes encircled Suien like a radiant halo, and he opened his eyes, ready to face the formidable opponent that had emerged out of nowhere. Itachi braced himself for the impending battle against this skilled adversary. "Rankyaku!" A loud shout echoed as wide crescent blades charged towards Suien. The koi fishes swiftly moved to defend him, creating multiple water walls to halt the attack. They managed to stop the first flying blade, but the second one struck one of the koi fishes. The wounded fish cried out in pain as blood trickled from its white scales, staining them with a crimson hue. 118. Are you nuts? "Rainenmaru, hold this guy down for some time, I and Konenmaru will take down this young lad." Suien said. Rainenmaru was the koi fish that was injured while Konemaru was the other. Rainenmaru nodded and looked at approaching Corazon with anger on its fishy eyes. How dare someone hurt its beauty scales. This mad deserved death. Rainenemaru spit water bullet from it''s mouth. Corazon who saw the attack, used his Tao Mandalas to protect himself but he was dragged away from the continuous impact. Corazon slowly was realizing why Aoto had once warned him that the powers of this world wasn''t weak in any way and in most cases more ridiculous than the Devil fruits. Meanwhile the other koi fish with Suien engaged Itachi. "Mizu Kenbu" (Water Sword Dance) The koi fish glided through the sky with a mesmerizing dance, and Suien, now emboldened by their presence, initiated his attack. Both Suien and the koi fish created a swirling vortex of water, condensing it into solid sword-like forms that streaked towards Itachi with extraordinary speed. Itachi reacted swiftly, relying on his kenjutsu training to parry the water swords with his Onyx Blade. Each clash created a dazzling spectacle of sparks and splashes, as the young Uchiha struggled to hold his ground against the relentless assault. Not to be outdone, Itachi formulated a counterattack. With a swift hand sign, he activated his own ninjustu. It had to be remembered that Itachi became a chunin without the help of sharingan so of course he knew some ninjutsus. "Kasumi Enbu no Jutsu" (Mist Waltz Technique) A thick mist enveloped the battlefield, shrouding Itachi. "Kage Bunhsin no Jutsu" ( Shadow clone jutsu ) Itachi wasn''t done with one jutsu as he made two clones of himself and spread apart. The mist which had enveloped was only effective in a small area covering Suien and Itachi. Aoto and the rest weren''t in the range at all. The koi fish and Suien lost sight of their opponents, momentarily halting their assault. Within the mist, Itachi seized the advantage. With masterful precision, he and his clones unleashed a barrage of shurikens aimed with calculated accuracy. The mist acted as an ally, obscuring the shurikens'' trajectories, rendering them nearly impossible to predict. The shurikens were so precise that a few of them actually hit at the eyes of Konenmaru and that too in both of them. Konenamru cried out in pain. This was enough for Konenmaru to become a puff of smoke and vanish. Their weakness were there unclosed eyes to begin with and Itachi had always known that so he went for the weakness showing how high his battle IQ was. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. No wonder he was such a genius. Corazon found himself locked in battle with the other koi fish, Rainenmaru. Although not a battle genius, he used a combination of magic and strength to bring down the formidable beast, with John providing cover and assistance. Their experience from previous arena battles had honed their cooperation, enabling them to effectively work together. Rainenmaru''s body was covered in bruises and impaled by a sword before it vanished in a puff of white smoke. As the mist slowly cleared, the remaining shinobi were taken down by Guy and Kakashi. The children, now under the care of Aoto and John, directed their hatred towards Suien, recognizing him as the mastermind behind their ordeal. Though young, they understood the concept of justice and hoped that the shinobi would deliver it. Despite being a little fatigued after using the last two jutsu, Suien remained ready for a few more rounds. However, with his subordinates defeated and his summoning beasts gone, anger simmered in his gaze. Yet, a small smile crept onto his lips, unsettling the others. "What''s so amusing?" Aoto demanded, bringing forth a half-circle Tao Mandala, prepared to take him down. "Hahahah... We planned everything from the start. Thinking we could take down Kakashi and the young genius, but I never expected other shinobi to be present. I admit, I made a huge mistake," Suien admitted, his laughter carrying a chilling edge. "Admitting your mistakes won''t absolve you of your crimes," Itachi interjected, finally speaking up. Though he had remained silent after Kirin''s death, his anger was palpable to Aoto. "Hahahah... I know, and for that, I have a big gift for you all," Suien replied, placing two fingers on his mouth before proceeding to whistle loudly. The whistle was loud and clear it rang through the forest. "Everyone in defense." Kakashi shouted as he expected another kind of trap and ambush. Everyone stood with backs at each other ready to engage. They didn''t go after Suien as there could be another kind of trap here. But Corazon had his eyebrows creased as he looked in one direction. "Someone is coming. Is that even a person?" Corazon pointed his finger in one direction. Everyone turned around to look and soon a man hopping from trees to trees appeared. Everyone looked at the single man who seemed to be in his 50s,quite well built and wore the waterfall headband. But Corazon didn''t have a good face when he looked at the man. "He isn''t a person. He is something else." Corazon proclaimed. "What do you mean?" Guy couldn''t help but ask. From all angles the man appeared to be normal. "He has something inside of him. I don''t know what is it, but its very dangerous. I can feel the power from here." Corazon said. Corazon with his Observation haki and magic was able to sense something was wrong with this man. Guy and others were confused but not Aoto. Kakashi too came to the same conclusion as Aoto as they both looked at Suien. "You brought a jinchuriki?" Both blurted out at the same time. "Are you nuts?" "Do you want to die with us?" "Hahahaha.. It''s a small price to pay to bring you down. Shinji bring them down. Show them the power of the Seven tails." Everyone''s eyes became wide when Suien declared that. 119. I just want to do business Aoto''s eye brows creased as he saw this. He was just here to do business and now he was embroiled into a battle that was way out of his league. He didn''t even belong to Akatsuki and still came across a Jinchuriki! "Aoto.. Corazon.. John.. You guys stand back. We will take this from here." Kakashi said as he for the first time took the mask down from his face and opened the other eye. The eye of the Sharingan. He had avoided using Sharingan because it was very taxing on his body and chakra and always avoided it if he could do so but now there was no other option. Itachi and Guy too became serious. Aoto and other promptly stood back while raising the Tao Mandalas into a larger size and pointing it towards the man who had just appeared. He didn''t seem to have any emotions and looked like he was on autopilot mode. "Kakashi-sensei, Guy-sensei, let''s work together and bring him back to his senses." Itachi said with his small stature and unwavering determination, "You can count on us, young Itachi! Remember, the power of teamwork and youthful spirit will guide us through!" Guy said while pumping his fists. The young Uchiha acknowledged their words with a nod and leaped into action. He expertly jumped into the nearby, utilizing his chunin-level agility to gain a strategic vantage point. His mind raced, devising a plan to counter this zombie that had just appeared. As Itachi launched a barrage of kunai at the Jinchuriki, he noticed Kakashi positioning himself nearby, ready to exploit any openings. The Copy Ninja called out, "I''ll keep him distracted with my Chidori! Be ready to act!" The man who was in a autopilot mode seemed to have sensed the malice of Itachi a dark and ominous aura began to emanate from him. His eyes glowed with an eerie intensity, and his body convulsed as the chakra of the Tailed Beast red cloak surged within him. Aoto who was watching all of this gulped. He had only seen the cloak form in anime in his previous life but seeing it in reality was a different matter. John and Corazon both activated the Shield of Seraphim and covered each and everyone. It was a large, circular, magical shield of energy which offered a wide area of protection from physical harm. "Itachi, Kakashi look out!" Guy called out, his voice filled with concern for the first time. The kunais being shot were squatted away like nothing and Kakashi who had his hand lit up lightning stopped Before their eyes, the man''s body underwent a startling transformation. His form expanded, muscles bulging with unnatural strength, as five swirling tails of chakra emerged from his back. The forest trembled under the immense power being unleashed. Suien had already vanished from their sight and was hiding far away. The people from Konoha could do the same but there were children here and it would be dangerous if this guy went after them. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Itachi gulped, not expecting such a rapid escalation. "This... this is incredible," he said, trying to steady himself. Kakashi''s Sharingan spun to life, analyzing the transformation. "We need to act fast. He is losing control!" Guy''s determination only grew stronger, his eyes brimming with conviction. "Then let''s act as one! We won''t let this power consume him!" The unleashed power of the Five Tails was terrifying to behold, and the ground beneath the Jinchuriki''s feet cracked as he roared, his eyes filled with anger and pain. Without hesitation, Itachi, Kakashi, and Guy sprang into action, facing the Jinchuriki in his transformed state. Their teamwork and coordination became even more critical now that Jinchuriki''s power had multiplied. Kakahsi activated his Chidori and jumped to take the Jinchuriki down while Itachi didn''t let the transformation affect him for too long. He took out shurikens. As the crackling bolt of lightning surged towards the Jinchuriki, Itachi watched as Guy leaped into action, activating his primary Lotus. His limbs moved with the speed and grace that only a true taijutsu master possessed. With a resounding impact, Guy''s attack connected, sending Takeshi sprawling back momentarily. The Seven Tails roared in pain and anger, its tails thrashing violently around. Seeing an opportunity, Itachi leaped from his hiding spot, performing a series of hand signs. Katon: H¨­senka no Jutsu (Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique) He exhaled a stream of fireballs with shurikens at their cores towards the creature, aiming to contain its movements. Guy followed up with a powerful kick, sending the Jinchuriki soaring further away. "Well done, Kakashi! Now, Itachi, keep up the pressure!" Itachi acknowledged Guy''s command, not missing a beat. He swiftly performed more hand signs. "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" He channeled his chakra, summoning a large water serpent that lunged at the Jinchuriki. "The Gate of Limit : Open." Guy unlocked the Fifth Gate, his speed reaching unprecedented levels. And with that he assaulted the Jinchuriki as he sent him hurtling away towards Kakashi who had activated chidori again and stabbed the man with all his might. But sadly the demon cloak seemed to have stopped the attack but the impact was not to be scoffed over as the Jinchuriki was again thrown away. One could hear the bones cracking when he hit some of the trees and bushes along the way. This man truly was working as a weapon. Kakashi, Guy who body seemed to be lit up with green light and Itachi all jumped and stood in front of the Seraphim shield and looked at the distant where the Jinchuriki was lying down. The trees and the bushes around had all been destroyed. Though the attack was momentary but when the Jinchuriki lashed it destroyed many things around and thus the debris were everywhere. "Is it dead?" "No. It''s just gotten more angry now." Corazon from the other side of the Serpahim wall said. The children already had extreme fear and tears in their eyes. Hearing this, they shuddered more. 120. Take him out of the battlefield The Jinchuriki of the Seven Tails raged on, Takeshi''s power continued to surge, threatening to overwhelm him completely. The ground shook as his five tails thrashed violently, and amid the chaos, a change started occurring. The man slowly rose to his feet. His body was now engulfed in a crimson-red chakra cloak, the malevolent aura growing more pronounced by the second. One could easily see his skin getting burned away, now replaced by something much darker than red. Aoto immediately recalled the times when Naruto and Bee used to transform. He had witnessed this transformation when Naruto fought against Orochimaru in search of Sasuke. "This is bad," Aoto called out. Like him, everyone could tell that the situation had escalated into a dire one. Now six tails emerged from the man''s back, and upon closer inspection, the tails looked like the wings of an insect. His transformation was so powerful that the ground beside the man caved in. It was horrifying to witness. "Kakashi, you take the children and run. I will stop this beast." "Guy, it''s not the time to be a hero. Even if we run, we won''t be safe, and this guy is after me, to begin with," Kakashi said. "I can kill him if I open the 6th gate," Guy said. "Are you crazy?" Kakashi roared. "Don''t worry, Kakashi. I still have a lot of youth left in my body. Nothing will happen to me," Guy reassured. "Guys, something is happening," Aoto called out. Everyone looked closely at the red-colored body of the Jinchuriki, who had opened its mouth, proceeding to open it far wider than any normal person would. In no time, a small purple-colored ball was generated and floated right in front of the Jinchuriki''s mouth. "John, Corazon, concentrate and use every inch of power in the Seraphim Shield," Aoto shouted. Seeing the purple-colored ball, he could already tell what it was. Guy and Itachi were a little confused, but Kakashi knew what it was. "You guys come behind me. There is no escaping this," Aoto continued. "We need to run. You will not be able to stop this." "We can''t run. It''s already too late," Aoto said. Corazon and John could tell that this purple ball thing was dangerous for some reason and concentrated on the shield magic. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Will this shield be able to stop the attack?" Kakashi had no other choice but to get behind the three. He still wasn''t sure how these guys were able to perform such kind of ''jutsus'' that he had never seen before, and the astonishing part was that his Sharingan wasn''t able to trace the chakra lines and copy the technique. Everything was obscure to him. "None of us know the Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique), so no, we can''t outrun this," Aoto said. The jutsu momentarily brought memories of the past, but he steeled his heart the next second and performed some hand signs. Soon, a number of earth walls were placed just before the multiple Seraphim Shields, and Itachi did the same. He was already skilled in all the nature releases. Only Guy stood behind them. Meanwhile, the Jinchuriki didn''t send the tailed beast bomb to explode in front of Aoto and his companions. Instead, he did something more sinister. He proceeded to eat up the tailed beast bomb, causing his body to enlarge within seconds, making him look like an inflated balloon. And then he opened his mouth and sent a straight laser beam right at Aoto and his friends. The attack was devastating. It destroyed everything on it''s path. The surrounding trees got obliterated even though they weren''t in the path to begin with. The first mud walls made by Itachi and Kakashi were only able to hold for a microsecond before crumbling apart. And the it struck the Seraphim Shield. Aoto''s shield was the first one and it could only hold for 1 second before he was thrown back. He vomited blood right after doing so as he felt some of his rib bones crack due to the impact. And then came the turn of Corazon. He tried his best to hold down the Shield against this concentrated laser type attack. But he too could only last for 3 seconds and thrown much further away and hit a tree a behind. Kakashi had seen this and tried stopping the momentum of Corazon. He was already surprised that this man could even hold down for such a long time against a tailed beast attack. He helped Corazon cushion his fall as Kakashi used water release to make sure he wasn''t hurt that badly, but even then he Corazon was injured. And next came the turn of John. He was the winner. He was able to take the last few seconds left of the laser type attack and come out victorious. The shield was in shambles but it did stop the attack at the end. Guy and the children jumped in joy seeing that they weren''t dead. "This is the advantage of youth. We have come out on top." Guy said with cheer. The children too cheered with him while Itachi and Kakashi went and made Aoto and Corazon slowly stand up again. This was the first time Aoto was hurt this much badly and he could say that it hurt like a bitch. He proceeded to bring out the instant healing potion and gulp it down. Corazon also had one and gulped down too. Within seconds all the broken bones and bruises healed. He felt relieved but the seriousness in his face didn''t go down. He looked at the Jinchuriki as the partial transformed man slowly got back to his original size. Using that concentrated attack didn''t seem to go too well for him too. "John you did well." Aoto was glad that John had such high talent of magic and that too chaos magic. It definitely helped. He just nodded and continued looking at the jinchuriki. "How are we going to handle him?" John asked. "We need to take him out of the battlefield and only then can try to calm him down." Aoto said. 121. Cheap shadow clone jutsu Itachi remained silent as Corazon and Aoto exchanged glances, directing their attention towards John. The others appeared bewildered by their cryptic talk of "taking him out of the battlefield," but those well-versed in the ways of magic, like Aoto and Corazon, could fully comprehend the hidden meaning behind their words. Meanwhile, the Jinchuriki slowly rose to his feet, ready to charge at them, eager to bring them down with his own malevolent intent. John''s apprehension grew as he observed the Jinchuriki''s ominous actions, and at last, he came to a pivotal decision. He nodded resolutely at Aoto. "Kakashi-san, Guy-san, Itachi, take a step back. We''ll handle the Jinchuriki from here on," declared Aoto. "What? No. We''re in this together," protested Kakashi. "Aoto, do you aspire to be the hero of youth? Only I have the rightful claim to that title," Itachi interjected tersely. "It''s not up for negotiation. If we don''t act now, we risk our lives. Kakashi, go after that Waterfall shinobi. There are matters we can handle while you handle others. Please, trust us," urged John. As a man of few words, his statements carried immense weight. Kakashi locked eyes with John, witnessing unwavering confidence and determination. Without another word, he jumped back, conceding to John''s plan. "I can''t say I''m okay with this. I was meant to be the hero," Guy expressed his reservations. "Guy, we must apprehend that man. My sharingan won''t last much longer. Come with me," Kakashi instructed, asserting his leadership as the team captain. Itachi glanced at Aoto and the others one last time before following suit, leaping backward. The Jinchuriki picked up speed, charging toward the trio. Fortunately, he seemed oblivious to Kakashi''s presence, sparing them a potential two-front assault. John had already readied the Seraphim shield. "Are you prepared?" John inquired, his gaze fixed on the approaching Jinchuriki. "Let''s do this," Aoto responded. "This world is madness," Corazon murmured. Fear tinged his voice, echoing Aoto''s feelings, yet they had no alternative but to confront this monstrous threat. As the Jinchuriki drew closer, John initiated the plan. With a flick of his wrist, John whisked himself, Aoto, Corazon, and the Jinchuriki into the mirror dimension. The transition was so swift that the Jinchuriki had no time to react, and their surroundings morphed into a realm of infinite reflections and illusions. Mirrored surfaces extended infinitely in all directions, creating a perfect arena for John''s sorcery. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The Jinchuriki roared fiercely, unleashing surges of chakra that rippled across the mirrored landscape. Meanwhile, Kakashi and the others, who had retreated further, were astounded by the sudden disappearance of the three men. Even Itachi, leading the children away in another direction, sensed the shift. The eerie aura dissipated within seconds, taking the three men with it. "Kakashi, can you identify the nature of their ninjutsu?" Guy inquired. Though known for his youthful exuberance, Guy wasn''t naive, as Kirk Lazarus once explained in Tropic Thunder. "No. Their ninjutsu is beyond even my sharingan''s capabilities," Kakashi admitted. "What?" Guy was taken aback. "We can discuss this later. Right now, we must capture that guy. He''s the reason we find ourselves in this predicament, and if something happens to Aoto, I dread facing the Hokage," Kakashi responded, a somber tone creeping into his voice. "You''re right," agreed Guy, a sense of gravity settling upon him. Both felt disheartened, realizing they had been bested by a Jinchuriki. Kakashi felt useless again. Not able to help his mentor, his friends and now it was happening the same again with someone who he had grown close to in the last year or so. Aoto had come to his assistance countless times, yet now he couldn''t reciprocate. Neither he nor Itachi brought their palicos, for summoning beasts within foreign territories only complicated bureaucratic matters. Now, they regretted not having their partners at their side. The Mirror Dimension The jinchuriki ran towards the three men again after seeing them in the mirror dimension. John swirled his hands while making a spell and then the mirror dimension moved on its own, the surroundings started to move and within no time the Jinhcuriki''s direction changed. But of course he was not unperturbed by this and continued running towards the three even though his direction of running was changing multiple times. "We need to change the strategy." Aoto said as he also used the mirror dimension according to his needs. His hands danced through intricate gestures, and green glyphs materialized in the air, forming a complex spell. Suddenly, countless mirror images of Aoto appeared around the Jinchuriki, surrounding it from all angles. The Jinchuriki''s eyes darted around, struggling to distinguish the real Aoto from the illusions. This was the iconic images of Ikkon like the Doctor Strange did against Thanos but a illusory one that had no real presence. Doctor Strange did multiple shadow clone jutsu. This was not even real as that magic was too difficult for someone like him. Aoto''s magic was also only possible in the Mirror dimension as the reflections and refractions were used as the help of the mirror dimension. Seizing the opportunity, John and Corazon conjured mystical bindings that shot out like ethereal tendrils from the mirrors. The tendrils snaked around the Jinchuriki, coiling around its tails, attempting to restrict its movements. The Jinchuriki bellowed, its immense strength shaking the mirror dimension. However, the Jinchuriki was not to be underestimated. With a massive burst of chakra, it shattered the mystical bindings and sent the mirrors around it shattering into pieces. And this time, the Jinchuriki seemed to have become angry after the harassment. His firs attack was a failure and now he was somewhere he couldn''t even make head or tail of. His anger burst open. And then the partial transformation stopped and soon the real full transformation started to take over. It wasn''t a slow process. The seven tails jinchuriki''s body vanished and was replaced by a large beast. Beast wouldn''t be the correct word here. This was a very large insect, with seven translucent wings on its back. 122. Of course it can talk The Seven Tails bore an uncanny resemblance to a fusion of a beetle and a moth. Its body was segmented, cloaked in robust green chitinous plates that imparted an aura of durability and menace. Numerous spindly legs adorned its form, granting it swiftness and agility, traits characteristic of a formidable predator. Its head mirrored its insectoid nature, characterized by large compound eyes and a mouth adorned with razor-edged mandibles. Truly, it was a monstrosity capable of leaving devastation in its wake. "I''ve delved into tales of diverse creatures across various dimensions, but to witness one in reality evokes both excitement and trepidation," John remarked. "Throughout my seafaring life, I''ve encountered numerous sea beasts, but this one truly stands out," Corazon added, awe and trepidation mingling in his tone. "Enough with the admiration. Our lives hang in the balance," Aoto interjected. "If worst comes to worst, we''ll withdraw," John suggested. "And ensnare it here," Corazon chimed in, supportive of the idea. "Yet, forsaking the use of the Mirror Dimension would leave it even more incensed when we inevitably resort to it again," Aoto countered. "Still better than meeting our demise," John and Corazon retorted in unison, silencing Aoto''s protest. Their predicament was clear ¨C they lacked a strategy to halt the colossal creature that was now undergoing a gradual transformation. While John''s proficiency in magic was noteworthy, it didn''t imply the ability to perform miracles. His magical talents were advanced, but attaining god-level prowess was a process, not an instant achievement. Roar The Seven Tails emitted a reverberating roar, prompting the trio to instinctively shield their ears from the piercing sound. The sheer volume of its roar provided a glimpse into the impending ferocity of its assaults. "Aoto, we must depart." "Indeed, once we''ve amassed sufficient strength, we can return to subdue it. Our current vulnerability doesn''t dictate our future potential," Corazon reassured Aoto. Aoto heaved a weighty sigh. The contrast between living within an anime realm and residing in the real world was staggering. The hardships, anguish, and torment were undeniably genuine. Despite possessing a system, he grappled with his own weakness. His need to intensify his training had become evident. Months had elapsed, yet he had yet to access any specialized domain or ascend beyond a basic level. In contrast, Corazon had ventured into the eldritch section and exhibited competence within it. He wielded rudimentary eldritch magic, and although offensive spells were still a work in progress, his proficiency exceeded Aoto''s own. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! The challenges he faced were stark reminders that living a fantasy wasn''t synonymous with transcending all adversities. As reality and fantasy converged, the gulf between them seemed even wider. Simultaneously, the Seven Tails hurtled toward them, wings slicing through the air, and its gaze fixed intently upon them, brimming with aggression and hunger. "We must depart immediately!" John urged. "Yes, just a moment... Chomei... Chomei... Can you hear me? CHOMEI!" Aoto''s body tensed, his courage swelling as he mustered the audacity to address the Seven Tails directly. Chomei ¨C the appellation granted by Hagoromo to the seven-tailed beast ¨C had been poised to release a devastating tailed beast bomb, a cataclysmic assault that would likely obliterate them and grant it an escape. However, Aoto''s fervent cry managed to sway its trajectory. The abrupt alteration in its flight path generated a powerful gust, causing the trio''s clothes to ripple in the turbulent air. In a defensive stance, John and Corazon prepared to extricate Aoto from the impending danger. Yet, Aoto had ceased moving, his attention unwaveringly fixed on Chomei. Unbeknownst to his companions, Aoto persisted in his attempt to communicate. His voice, both desperate and resolute, reached out to Chomei with an entreaty: "I know you can comprehend me, Chomei. Please, I implore you, desist. We bear no ill will." His tone bore a blend of urgency and sincerity. Chomei, momentarily arrested in its advance, offered no immediate response. Aoto sighed in a modicum of relief, noting the cessation of Chomei''s hostile charge. The immediate peril appeared temporarily averted. "Chomei, hear me out. We aren''t your adversaries. The altercation we engaged in was a defensive response to ambush. Our intentions were never hostile toward you," Aoto persisted, his voice a gentle plea. Although Chomei remained unresponsive, Aoto clung to the hope that his words might eventually penetrate. "Speak! By what means do you possess knowledge of my name?" Chomei''s voice reverberated ¨C an astonishing development that jolted everyone. None had anticipated the creature''s capacity for coherent speech. "It speaks?" "It possesses cognition?" Aoto pivoted to face his incredulous companions, his frustration palpable as he delivered a pair of well-placed punches to their heads. "Naturally, they can communicate! Their intelligence far surpasses humans''. Don''t assume they''re mere brutes. After living for countless years, wouldn''t they possess elevated cognition?" Aoto retorted, his words laden with exasperation. Chomei, observing this exchange, remained largely indifferent. The creatures discerned emotions, and Aoto''s words held no weight as insults. However, when Aoto referred to them as having superior intelligence, a trace of discomfort brushed against Chomei''s awareness. "My apologies for their ignorance. To address your query, the tailed beasts possess the capacity to communicate and possess intelligence far beyond our own. Can you imagine that beings existing for centuries would remain devoid of intellect?" Aoto voiced, silencing potential skepticism. Chomei''s curiosity had been piqued by Aoto''s discourse. It registered Aoto''s guilt and reverence, which contributed to its contemplation. "Why are you privy to techniques devoid of chakra manipulation? How did you confine me within this space?" Chomei inquired, demonstrating an unexpected fascination not only with the trio''s tactics but also with the dimension they had summoned into existence. It resembled reality yet deviated through its interplay of reflections and refractions, a world that confounded and captivated the seven-tailed beast. Within this realm, chakra remained undetectable, an enigma that prompted Chomei''s heightened interest. "Uh.. That is a long story.. But can you please not threaten us? We are victims of this mission." Aoto said. "Humans are never victims. It''s for you that the world is in the current predicament." 123. You are my first Pokemon Aoto quivered as he confronted Chomei''s mounting ire. The creature''s dialogue emerged from a mixture of curiosity and perhaps an inkling of pity for humankind. Aoto''s musings drifted to the intricate dynamics between tailed beasts and the jinchuriki. Oftentimes, these majestic entities were exploited as tools of warfare, manipulated to serve sinister agendas. A perceptible tension enveloped the air, compounded by Aoto''s audacity in posing a challenging question to Chomei. Corazon and John exchanged uneasy glances, bracing for Chomei''s retaliation against Aoto''s daring inquiry ¨C one that explored the notion of whether a world teeming with myriad tailed beasts would truly embody perpetual peace. "Chomei-san, if we hypothetically conceive a realm brimming with thousands and millions of tailed beasts akin to you, could it be envisaged as a realm defined solely by tranquility, devoid of conflict?" Aoto queried, a query that provoked an involuntary flinch from his companions. In their eyes, Aoto was courting danger by daring to engage in dialogue that questioned the veracity of Chomei''s nature. Yet, this gambit was merely a means of captivating Chomei''s attention and invoking deeper contemplation. "Chomei-san?" The honorific appended to its name was an attempt to foster respect, an olive branch extended to facilitate the discourse. With an air of irritated resignation, Chomei retorted, "That is an honorific I have yet to hear. Nonetheless, the scenario you outline is implausible. Thousands of us coexisting within a single realm defies reality." Aoto''s grin widened, eyes unwavering as they locked onto Chomei''s. This audacious act caught Chomei off-guard, prompting it to reconsider its skepticism. "Why such certainty? Have you traversed realms where such a phenomenon transpires?" Aoto countered, his retort evoking an uncharacteristic burst of laughter from Chomei. "Marvelous fabrication, child. You weave an intricate tapestry of falsehoods," Chomei retorted, its skepticism laid bare. Aoto''s smile persisted, steadfastness emanating from his gaze as he addressed Chomei, "What if my words are the truth? Our capabilities minus chakra manipulation have been witnessed by you. Could it not be fathomed that a realm teeming with beings akin to you exists?" Chomei, succumbing to a momentary lapse, laughed aloud in response to Aoto''s audacious assertion, "Your capacity for mendacity knows no bounds." "Yet, what if veracity underlies my words? Imagine a domain where innumerable tailed beasts coexist, their existence shaped by collective harmony," Aoto probed, inviting skepticism from Chomei. The skepticism was rooted in centuries of manipulation, a turbulent history that had eroded any vestiges of trust Chomei might have harbored for humans. Stolen story; please report. Aoto persisted, his determination unyielding, "And why, amidst our discourse, do you engage if you find me untrustworthy?" Chomei, its curiosity about the technique that eluded its chakra sense heightened, admitted, "My primary interest lies in unraveling the technique that masks your chakra from detection." "Is this your sole curiosity? If I were to impart this knowledge, would you permit our departure?" Aoto inquired, a delicate negotiation veiled in his words. "I shall contemplate the proposition," Chomei replied, leaving the matter unresolved. Aoto, bolstered by his gamble, raised the stakes further, "Your consideration is insufficient. We demand an assurance of our escape, coupled with the knowledge exchange and your release from this realm." "You are not strong enough for negotiating with me." Chomei roared . "We aren''t but we can escape and you will be trapped here." Aoto said laying out his cards. This made Chomei angry and flapped around. John and Corazon used magical shields to stop the attacks but it never came. His attacks just landed around Aoto and didn''t hurt any of them. Aoto just gambled with their life and he won. Seeing that Chomei was just angry and didn''t attack meant that Chomei could tell that there was really no escape from this place until he knew the technique. "You possess an astute intellect for one of tender years. Should you consent to instruct me, I shall grant you your freedom and extricate us from this confinement," Chomei proposed with an air of reluctant respect. Aoto and his companions released sighs of relief, knowing that the negotiation had borne fruit. Aoto turned to Corazon and John, both of whom gave solemn nods. They comprehended their roles in the unfolding plan. "To facilitate your tutelage, we must first extricate ourselves from this locale. Does this accord with your terms?" Aoto inquired. Chomei pondered this for a moment before granting assent. John and Corazon exchanged triumphant grins upon hearing this concession. They manipulated their hands, each bearing a sling ring, and within moments, a sprawling portal materialized. The portal unveiled a dense expanse of woodland, reminiscent of the realm they had departed. However, Chomei, scrutinizing intently, could discern no chakra currents, nor did the techniques bear any semblance to ninjutsu. This revelation left Chomei awestruck. The portal spanned an imposing breadth, amply spacious for Chomei''s formidable frame. The trio entered first, followed by Chomei, who hesitated briefly before traversing the threshold. The alternate side of the aureate portal revealed a scene akin to their previous setting, suggesting it was an exit technique. Little did Chomei realize, this assumption was gravely mistaken. Stepping out, Chomei found itself encompassed by a colossal circular edifice. The open expanse beneath its feet was vast, enveloped by towering shelves laden with innumerable tomes that stretched interminably. Countless volumes encircled the area. "What is this?" "Welcome to the library," Aoto greeted with a wry smile. "You dare lie to me?" Chomei''s roar reverberated as it lunged at Aoto. Instantaneously, an oppressive force descended like a tempest upon the creature. This coercive might surpassed anything Chomei had encountered, eclipsing even the aura of its progenitor, Hagoromo. Crushed by the weight, Chomei lay prone, its wings splayed wide, immobilized. "System, induce slumber and ensure Chomei remains incarcerated." [ Your will, acknowledged, host ] In moments, the beast recoiled into the recesses of its jinchuriki''s form, leaving in its wake a middle-aged man sprawled unconscious on the ground. "Chomei, you are my first Pokemon." Aoto said as he looked at the unconscious man and sighed. 124. The half truth and nothing but the truth "This was a very tough battle." Corazon said as he stretch his neck. He didn''t expect that their first trip would turn out to be so dangerous. They almost died there. Corazon could still feel the pain in his body. Though Kakshi helped him but it was not enough. "It was supposed to be a C class mission or maybe a hard B class. But it turned out to be S+ class mission." Aoto complained. "But all that maters that we are fine and we even got yourself a beast like him." John said as the three were looking the sleeping man. "This thing will be a secret for us and the rest of the people who come to the library." Aoto said. "Then what about Kakashi and those who saw us fighting?" Corazon said. "We will tell them that the seven tails had been trapped in another dimension and if they don''t believe us, we can show them the mirror dimension saying he is trapped in a similar dimension somewhere which is also partly true and even if he uses sharingan on us he will be able to tell that we are speaking the truth. The kids are their headache. Not ours. We have done more than enough here and I am not letting them take away my Pokemon." John and Corazon just laughed at it and then opened a portal to the place they had been fighting. They were back at the destroyed forest at the edge of the cliff. Everything was in shambles. The Seven tails really fucked this place up and one could see the destruction around. Tree splinters, smoothened ground when the ''laser beam'' shot, burnt out grass and tree leaves, small burnt bushes and other things could be easily seen. Aoto and others felt a shiver looking at the destruction but also proud of how far they have come since they had started learning magic. They faced one of the biggest threats of the world and came out fine. It was a huge win, which made the three more anxious about learning magic. Soon Guy, Itachi and Kakashi returned. Kakashi was on the back of Guy and the guy who instigated the whole ''drama'' was on one hand of Guy. "We caught him. He couldn''t run away from our youthful legs." "Kakashi-san has overused his Sharingan and is considerably weakened. Furthermore, we''ve apprehended this man named Suien, a Jonin hailing from the Land of Waterfalls. Kakashi-san subjected him to genjutsu, and all we''ve managed to glean is that he was tipped off about our arrival by an unknown informant¡ªone he himself remains unfamiliar with and has never encountered before." "Is he still alive?" Aoto inquired while Guy held Suien''s limp body as though it were a rag doll. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "He''s barely clinging to life, I believe. Kakashi went a bit overboard with his Sharingan," Itachi remarked with his usual expressionless demeanor. "What''s become of the Seven Tails?" Guy queried. The fate of the Seven Tails had been a nagging concern for both Itachi and Guy. "We''ve ensnared it within a separate dimension, ensuring it will no longer trouble us," Aoto responded. Guy and Itachi exchanged puzzled glances, particularly Itachi. He struggled to comprehend how the four participants had vanished from the battlefield and then reappeared unscathed after a certain period. Normally, he might have suspected that one of them had become a jinchuriki, but none of them exuded the aura of such a transformation. While not a master sensory ninja, even Itachi could sense that the Seven Tails had indeed disappeared. "Aoto, could you provide Kakashi with that remedy that restored your vitality during your fight?" Guy inquired, having witnessed how Corazon and Aoto had mended themselves after fracturing their limb bones. "Guy-san, the remedy only works on individuals with physical injuries. Kakashi-san''s predicament is rooted in his chakra depletion," Aoto reminded him. "Right, right... Blast it, Kakashi... Where has your youthful vigor gone?" Guy muttered. Though not genuinely angry at Kakashi, he was disheartened by his inability to contribute substantially. Kakashi and Itachi had shouldered most of the burden, leaving Guy to bask in their triumphs. "We should establish a camp at a considerable distance," Aoto suggested, aware that the widespread destruction could yield severe repercussions. "What about the children?" Corazon interjected. Kirin''s remains had been blasted into fragments, deepening Aoto''s sorrow. Even preserving the girl''s body had proven impossible, all due to an excessive thirst for power. "Kakashi placed them under a genjutsu, making them believe it was all a dream. Kirin''s demise occurred at the cliff''s edge. Kakashi then sealed their previous memories," Guy disclosed. Employing such a technique had been astute, as it safeguarded their minds. Of course, these complex jutsus were taxing and could only be employed against vulnerable targets like children. Aoto nodded, recognizing the wisdom in this course of action. The children didn''t need to be embroiled in the sordid aftermath. They weren''t destined protagonists or chosen ones within the world''s narrative. Nonetheless, if one of the children experienced an isekai-like transition akin to himself, that could alter the scenario. In due time, they departed the battlefield. Hours later, shadowy figures approached the site, surveying the surroundings before withdrawing. Several enigmatic figures had congregated, surveying the area. The Seven Tails'' use of its Tailed Beast Bomb had undoubtedly caught the attention of many nearby. However, Aoto and his companions remained unconcerned, having distanced themselves from the vicinity. To aid Kakashi''s recovery, Corazon employed his magic. In reality, Corazon was more proficient in illusion and curative magic. He contemplated leveraging his Silence Devil Fruit power and illusions to evolve into a stealthy sorcerer. Should the need arise for physical assaults, he was diligently honing his mastery of Haki. Corazon aspired to become akin to Law, who, according to Aoto, had become a distinguished physician. Corazon felt no shame in entertaining the possibility of encountering Law in the future. 125. Zoro, is that you? "Aoto-san," Itachi suddenly inquired, breaking the peaceful night''s silence as everyone gathered around a bonfire beneath the starlit sky. Kakashi lay on a comfortable futon nearby, while Corazon''s hands emitted a golden radiance, positioned near Kakashi''s head. The group savored the boar''s meat that John had captured just hours ago. In the past, the shinobi had been responsible for food and sustenance, but now that their newfound capabilities were revealed, a sense of communal contribution emerged. Itachi might have harbored a hint of resentment, realizing that Aoto and the others had withheld their magical abilities during their shared journey. Observing how their magic streamlined tasks like setting up tents and preparing food, the shinobi realized the sheer ease with which such feats could be accomplished through "jutsus." "Did you invent the new techniques you employed during the battle?" Itachi queried, the crackling flames casting a warm glow over the scene. "Partly... They''re still a work in progress, and honestly, I''m not entirely proficient with my own creations. I presented the basic concept, and my friends added their expertise to refine them," Aoto humbly admitted. "The techniques were impressive," Guy chimed in, tearing into a sizable portion of boar meat. "Not exactly... My techniques are rather slow, leaving me vulnerable to sneak attacks from faster ninjas," Aoto deflected the praise. "You''re still learning, and with time, you could become as swift as any shinobi," Itachi reassured Aoto, who simply nodded in acknowledgment. "Kakashi should regain consciousness by tomorrow. While he won''t be in peak condition, he should be capable of movement," Corazon reported after concluding his healing session with Kakashi. Their progress in mastering magic was significant, given Corazon''s novice status in this field. Itachi''s curiosity prodded him to inquire further about Aoto''s techniques and how he achieved the ability to access different dimensions. The latter topic intrigued him particularly, yet Aoto could only offer vague insights in response. Itachi understood the boundaries of privacy within the shinobi world and chose not to press further, respecting the unspoken code unless a situation involved an enemy. The following day, Kakashi did indeed awaken, appearing outwardly well despite keen observers detecting his lingering fatigue and incomplete recovery. As the team''s leader, Kakashi exhibited determination to continue the journey. He refrained from delving into the events of the recent past, electing to focus on the path ahead. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The weather grew increasingly colder as the group ventured beyond familiar territories. Snow and ice began to appear sporadically, transforming the landscape into a pristine white canvas adorned with frost-covered trees. The sky seamlessly merged with the horizon, creating a tranquil and frigid ambiance. Guy''s vibrant energy remained undaunted, while the rest maintained a contemplative silence, speaking only when necessary. Mile after mile, their progress was marked by the soft crunch of snow underfoot, the sound punctuating the pervasive quietude. After what felt like an eternity of traversing, the six individuals found themselves confronting a path lined with imposing stone statues portraying fearsome samurai warriors. As they approached this path, a contingent of samurai, dressed in ornate armor, materialized from the shadows. The cold light glinted off their swords, a reflection of their unwavering dedication to their craft. A figure stepped forth, adorned in armor bearing intricate designs that spoke of a lifetime devoted to this way of life. Armor segments adorned his head, arms, chest, and legs, offering mobility while safeguarding against physical assaults. "Halt! Strangers, declare your purpose in the Land of Iron." Aoto stepped forward. "We are shinobi from Konoha, here solely to discuss potential business with you." "Shinobi? The Land of Iron has severed all ties with shinobi villages. Return from whence you came," declared the samurai, his voice emanating from beneath his mask. "We are aware of that policy, and despite my Konoha headband, I primarily identify as a businessman. My intention is solely to engage in trade with the samurai," Aoto explained. "Whether shinobi or businessman, depart our territory and never set foot upon this land again," the samurai remained steadfast, refusing to entertain further conversation. This response caught everyone off guard. They hadn''t anticipated such staunch resistance and had hoped to at least meet with the Land of Iron''s ruler, Taisho. Aoto pondered momentarily. "Samurai-san, your aversion to conflict is causing your blades to rust. Your ideology of abstaining from warfare and battle will eventually erode the fighting spirit, leaving your land vulnerable to neighboring invasions," Aoto asserted boldly. The atmosphere grew tense, not just among the samurai, but also among Aoto''s companions. Both parties were taken aback by his audacity. They were here to establish business connections, not to provoke a confrontation. Aoto''s words perplexed everyone, yet none of his five companions intervened to halt his discourse. Enraged, the samurai unsheathed his blade, charging towards Aoto. "I''ll demonstrate whose blade holds the edge after I cleave you in two!" The samurai bellowed, lunging at Aoto with a swift sword swing aimed at his throat. In the pivotal moment, Itachi materialized right in front of Aoto and the charging samurai, his own blade drawn and aimed at the aggressor. He swung his sword in order to stop the attack of the samurai and this was where the samurai who attacked felt like he had seen some kind of ghost. When the samurai charged at Aoto, he used his full power as chakra was laden on the blade of the samurai and he was using full force to kill Aoto, but then he saw that the blade of his got cut cleanly in half as it touched the blade of Itachi. The samurai''s blade looked like it was made of butter in front of the blade of Itachi. The samurai after swing the sword looked at the beloved sword that he had been carrying for quite a bit of time with stupefaction. He couldn''t believe it. The swords of the samurai was like their own extra limb and now one just cut in half in front of a 7 8 year old kid. 126. He still has a blackbeard The samurai felt humiliated and attacked Itachi once again, this time with the broken sword. While Itachi wasn''t a prodigal kenjutsu-based ninja like the White Fang, he was proficient enough to parry the attack from the samurai''s half-broken katana. And just like the previous encounter, the half-broken katana got cut once more. Itachi''s blade went straight through it, much like a hot knife through butter or something along those lines. The first incident could have been attributed to a one-in-a-million chance, but the subsequent one definitely jolted the samurai awake. He stared at his own katana in horror, then at Itachi, and back at the katana again, as if ensuring he wasn''t in a dream. Other nearby samurai were equally shocked, and they all swiftly jumped into action, charging at Aoto and the others. Their motivations might have been shame, anger, and the need to defend their samurai captain''s honor, sensing that a young child had tarnished their pride. Seeing this, Itachi''s friends let out sighs of anticipation. They knew this confrontation was inevitable, and now they had to find a way to escape and return safely to the Land of Fire. Suddenly, the samurai whose sword was sliced yelled, "Stop!" This command brought all the samurai to a halt, leaving them bewildered. "Can you sell me your katana?" The samurai stared directly at Itachi and made the request. Aoto''s face lit up with a smile, his gamble had paid off ¨C this samurai was clearly intrigued. Itachi understood exactly what Aoto intended, which was why he had positioned himself in between. Despite his young age, Itachi was incredibly astute. Itachi didn''t respond to the samurai''s query; instead, he glanced at Aoto. The samurai grasped the subtle cue and inquired, "Are you here to sell katanas?" "A multitude of things, but yes, selling similar katanas is one of them," Aoto replied. This statement sent a shiver down the spine of the samurai and everyone present. He paused briefly before asking. "Can I know your name?" The samurai asked. This finally put a smile on the face of Aoto and the first ice was broken. These people really cared about their katana, just like the land of Wano on One Piece. Of course, Aoto and others would have made a run if they weren''t convinced or tried to rob them. He had heard that samurai of Land of Iron had a very upright and stubborn ideology and this had been proved today. Aoto introduced himself and also introduced his friends. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "You are the famous Copy ninja.. It''s nice to meet you. I am Musashi Miyamoto. Captain of the 13th group of guards. Welcome to the land of Iron." The samurai said. He lead them away and somehow all the guards around who were very vile and angry towards them were now trying to curry favor, especially to Aoto. Some samurai even asked if they could use the sword of Itachi, to which he agreed. And when they tried it, they were very surprised to know that this sword didn''t even a chink on the blade even after they used it to cut other katanas. This made the samurai mad about it and promised that if they would sell such katanas, they would definitely buy it. Normally a skilled samurai could never make their swords break in any sword fights. But the samurais weren''t perfect. There was bound to have blade chips fall of and at the end break. It was the same reason why Zenitsu from Demon Slayer never had to change his katana, it was because he had perfected his move and his blade was never destroyed. While Inosuke and Tanjiro had their swords broken because their techniques weren''t perfect, especially Tanjiro who was switching from two breathing styles in the beginning. The samurai knew this and they wanted to have a sword that wouldn''t break and make themselves stronger. They slowly walked and followed them and soon they could an see an open expanse, revealing the magnificent village of the samurai. Set against a backdrop of towering and snow covered mountains with slow chilly winds, the village was a testament to the samurai''s commitment to tradition and strength. Tall walls, built from dark stone, encircled the settlement, serving as both a protective barrier and a symbol of the samurai''s unity. The village gates, adorned with intricate metalwork. Beyond them lay streets made of cobblestone, polished smooth by years of footsteps, and flanked by traditional wooden buildings with sloping roofs. Beyond them laid streets made of cobblestone, polished smooth by years of footsteps, and flanked by traditional wooden buildings with sloping roofs. People bustled along the streets, dressed in attire that bore the hallmarks of their warrior heritage¡ªkimono-style robes interwoven with armor plates, creating a balance between tradition and protection. They were soon approached by the guards of the village and after knowing that the guards were responsible, they didn''t stop them and soon took them to the main administrations building of the village of Samurai. "I always wanted to go to Wano. Now this is the best I can do." Corazon said. This made everyone confused and only Aoto understood the reference. "You would have died if you had gone there." Aoto laughed. Itachi and others didn''t ask as they could feel that it was some kind of secret of them. "Can I know who is the Taisho at the moment?" Aoto asked. "Mifune-sama is the current Taisho." The samurai replied honestly and proudly. He seemed to be proud of the current Taisho. ''So he is already the head. Well, supposing he was quite old during the 4th Great ninja war, it was very apparent that he held the position for long and everybody respected him to even consider hearing the call of Taisho'' Aoto thought. After a some changing alleys, they finally reached and was led inside a big office, at least bigger than the Hokage which had papers and documents around, with a middle aged man sitting on a chair. 127. I will be the shopkeeper Musashi stepped forward and whispered into Mifune''s ear. Throughout the exchange, Mifune maintained a surprised expression. He briefly glanced at Kakashi, then at Aoto, and finally at the others. After the exchange of words, Musashi stepped back, allowing Mifune to take over the conversation. "Welcome to the Land of Iron. I apologize for my friend''s impolite behavior. I hope it hasn''t affected the purpose of your visit. I have heard much about you, Copy Ninja, and the Green Beast." Both Kakashi and Gai blushed slightly and introduced themselves. Aoto visibly sighed with relief, as he began to place a degree of trust in Mifune''s character ¨C someone who didn''t appear power-hungry and possessed a more rational mindset compared to many current Kage. "Thank you, Mifune-sama." With introductions concluded, a casual discussion unfolded regarding the global situation. Since the Land of Iron abstained from engaging in wars, Mifune inquired about certain aspects, being in conversation with a legend of the Third Great Ninja War. Following the more formal discourse, Aoto finally broached the topic of establishing a shop in the village. Mifune''s demeanor shifted, and he posed a crucial question. "May I see the katana?" Aoto turned his gaze to Itachi, who stepped forward, offering his katana to Mifune. Mifune accepted it, meticulously examining the blade''s edge with his own hands. "This katana doesn''t appear to be the work of a specialist," Mifune remarked after a moment. "No, the maker isn''t well-versed in blacksmithing. Hence, the katana here doesn''t qualify as a refined piece. Part of our reason for coming here is to seek artisans who can craft better katanas, kunai, and shurikens," Aoto explained. "We can''t engage in crafting kunai and shuriken, as that contradicts the samurai ideology, we will only sell the katanas to us and the Konoha and nobody else, if a samurai or a shinobi of konoha falls in a battle, it is none of the responsibility of the Land of Iron." Mifune stated firmly. His tone left no room for negotiation. Aoto stiffened, yet he comprehended Mifune''s stance. Mifune''s reasoning was twofold: firstly, forging such weapons would align them with Konoha and consequently involve them in political matters, favoring the village. Secondly, it was incompatible with their historical and ideological foundations, tracing back to the samurai''s inception. "Obviously and the samurai village can undertake the production of katanas. We will provide the necessary materials. However, exporting the metal won''t be permissible. The durability of the katana relies on the specific metal we supply. I''m aware the samurai maintain a distinct ideology, but you do acknowledge the fickleness of human nature, right?" Aoto straightforwardly stated, causing Musashi to become visibly irritated. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Are you doubting the straightforward and honorable nature of the samurai? Do you believe samurai to be inherently flawed?" He exclaimed. "Mushashi, stop! An ideology doesn''t guarantee unwavering adherence to its tenets. I grasp your concerns. We will ensure the resources are appropriately managed. I''ll also appoint someone for the task of overseeing this matter, along with a suitable blacksmith," Mifune intervened, putting an end to the escalating tension. "Thank you, Taisho-sama. Here is a list of items I intend to sell here, and I hope you will grant your approval," Aoto stated, producing a list of items he wished to offer. Initially, Mifune was prepared to reject any proposals that contradicted their samurai ideology, but as he reviewed the list, he became increasingly surprised. Among the items were some peculiarities, such as computers, and some outright perplexing choices, including lingerie. Aoto''s intentions seemed far more varied and unconventional than Mifune had anticipated. He even noticed the inclusion of automail, a revelation that startled him. Kakashi''s expression, however, seemed to vouch for the authenticity of the proposition. Formal negotiations commenced between Mifune and Aoto. Eventually, Aoto broached the primary purpose of his visit, and with each revelation, Mifune''s astonishment grew. "How do you possess knowledge of elements that within our land that we have chakra-conductive metal?" Mifune inquired, sensing a breach of their land''s privacy. "Mifune-sama, I assure you that we didn''t infiltrate covertly. If that were the case, we wouldn''t have approached you for discussion or proposed selling the metal. We intend to offer the chakra-conductive metal here as well, allowing you to use and profit from it. Our knowledge comes from my unique methods, distinct from conventional ninjutsu. You''ll understand once I explain, but please trust our intentions and allow us to mine the required elements," Aoto explained, seeking to maintain transparency. Mifune paused, contemplating the situation before responding. "I will place my trust in your words. However, the blacksmith shop you propose will be situated next to my office, and I will personally oversee it," Mifune declared. "Huh?" "Eh!" Even Aoto, Mushashi, and others were taken aback by this statement. "Uh! But you''re a Taisho, how can you be a shopkeeper?" Aoto questioned, expressing his confusion. "In order to vigilantly monitor Konoha, we require the best individuals. Though I''m not one to boast, I understand my own capabilities well enough. Only a capable person can effectively keep watch on Konoha. No offense intended," Mifune elaborated. His words caused Kakashi and Might Guy to blush slightly, feeling somewhat humbled. "None taken. If you''re willing to be the shopkeeper, it''s actually beneficial. Your presence will offer additional security for the shop," Aoto responded. He wasn''t bothered by the idea of Mifune taking on the role; in fact, having a kage-level figure as the shopkeeper provided additional safeguards. Unlike the shop in Konoha, this one wouldn''t enjoy the protection of barriers against hostile forces, making the presence of a kage-level individual an advantage. Aoto''s only concern was safeguarding his secrets from Mifune. This arrangement would demonstrate the Land of Iron''s commitment to the partnership, enhancing the credibility of their business endeavors. "Thank you for the understanding. Having direct administration business with Konoha will already raise eyebrows with the other villages? How do you wish to change that?" Mifune said. "By having more business with them." Aoto laughed. This made Mifune laugh too. 128. The onsens are the best "You seem quite money-minded," Mifune observed, accompanied by a light chuckle. "I am," Aoto responded without hesitation, prompting a grin from Mifune. While Aoto''s money-driven attitude was evident, Mifune perceived some underlying ideals in him. Aoto''s willingness to have Mifune serve as the shopkeeper indicated his business-focused perspective rather than any political or sinister motives. Although this didn''t necessarily imply that Konoha or any other village was more virtuous, Aoto was open to cooperation and improvement, given the chance. Mifune, known for his flexibility and mediator role among villages, recognized the potential for collaboration. "Where in this land can the chakra conductive metal be found?" Mifune inquired. "We don''t know yet," Aoto admitted awkwardly, causing confusion for Mifune. "Didn''t you mention that the Land of Iron possesses the metal?" Mifune questioned further. "Yes, but we haven''t surveyed your land or infiltrated to locate it. I possess a technique that can provide a general location, which points to this region," Aoto clarified. "Is there some kind of ninjutsu, that can do that?" Mifune was surprised that the world could even come up with such kind of ninjutsu. "Uh yes. It''s the same way I found the strongest metal and thus made the katana that you have seen." Aoto replied. Mifune acknowledged and since they had come from far, they were asked to live in the village for a day before searching for the metal the following day. Kakashi and others had been entirely silent in the whole negotiation and let Aoto take the lead here, as Hokage had ordered that. Hokage had not only sent Aoto just for being the man who could recognize the metal but also see if he could establish business with the Land of Iron. If he couldn''t, it was a just a missed opportunity, but if he could then it would mean that Aoto had a special knack for business. Kakashi was glad that everything worked out fine. Despite the cold climate and occasional snowfall, the village had onsens (Japanese hot springs). While Konoha had its own onsens, the prospect of using the ones at the mansion provided by Mifune was exciting. After settling into the mansion, everyone indulged in the onsen together, sharing their enjoyment. "This is incredibly relaxing," Corazon sighed contentedly. "We should frequent the onsens in Konoha more often." Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "You''re right. It''s like a youth revival." "Guy-san, it appears onsens are part of your regular routine." "Absolutely! The body deserves rest too." Kakashi still wore his mask while a towel covered his head, reading a manga and enjoying the hot onsen in peace. He remained slightly weak but was functioning much better now. He pondered how to report to the Hokage about what had occurred before their arrival. Surviving a Seven Tails attack was a monumental feat, and he was certain that other villages were on high alert. Their return to Konoha might prove to be quite thorny. Kakashi sighed as these thoughts crossed his mind.
The next day, Aoto, accompanied by his friends and Mushashi, as well as guards, set out on a journey in search of conductive metal. The system had already indicated the direction, so it didn''t take them long to reach the destination. Within two hours, they arrived at a valley blanketed in snow and surrounded by mountains. In the distance, Aoto spotted fur-covered creatures moving about, such as bears and even a snow leopard, though they were far away. "It''s here," Aoto announced. "In this valley?" Mushashi inquired. "Yes," Aoto replied, producing a mining tool and commencing to dig in that very location. Initially, he brushed away the snow, then after some digging, he uncovered a purple-colored rock. Other similarly hued rocks dotted the dig site; this was merely a fragment. "Is this the one you''re searching for?" Mushashi asked. "Yes. This valley holds the highest concentration of it, and you can employ your country''s labor. Konoha won''t interfere with your affairs, but it''s hoped you''ll compensate your workers fairly," Aoto explained. Mushashi nodded, taken aback that the Land of Iron possessed such a metal. Perhaps a survey was needed to identify other metals within their borders. However, the heavy snow in the area would undoubtedly complicate their survey. Mushashi was also astonished that Konoha had developed a ninjutsu capable of detecting metal from such a distance. It was, essentially, a money-making ninjutsu, and even Mifune had suggested that the technique might be on par with S-class abilities. Envy stirred within him, but it was a fleeting emotion. After displaying the rock, Aoto and his companions returned to the village. Aoto proceeded to discuss the agreement, leading to the drafting of an extensive document. Konoha and the Land of Iron were to engage in a business agreement involving the sale of katana crafted from the metal Aoto touted as the strongest and found in their very backyard. The agreement included the exchange of metal and also entailed sending skilled blacksmiths from their land to Konoha. This would greatly benefit Konoha, enhancing their weapons arsenal beyond just shurikens and kunais. Furthermore, the agreement granted exclusive rights to Aoto, allowing him to sell other items such as the mad honey. Some of the transactions would involve the Uchiha clan, and Aoto had no objections. The negotiations for the agreement extended for an additional two days, as Aoto meticulously calculated his interests and potential profits. Construction on a nearby shop had already begun. Once a comprehensive agreement was reached, it was sealed with Kakashi''s and Mifune''s endorsements. Although it was temporary until the Hokage''s signature was secured, Kakashi assured Aoto that the Hokage was amenable to whatever terms he negotiated. This reassured Mifune, confirming Hiruzen''s complete trust in Aoto and bringing him a sense of contentment. With everything in place on the 4th day Aoto and others started their return journey. Kakashi and others had asked for special dress in order to cover their identity as he was expecting an ambush for sure. 129. He is going to be our friend Everyone was wearing the white overcoat over their Konoha''s suit, like the ones Naruto used when they first met Obito in the woods, where Obito revealed his other voice for the first time. The samurai escorted them to the border and said goodbye to them. They walked a mile or so and had already crossed the bridge and the weather was slowly started to getting a bit better. Living in such cold weather was definitely not something Aoto liked. Konoha was still better. "We will have to be alert and we can''t afford to confront anyone because there is a very high chance we will be ambushed because we have caused quite the incident before. They must have seen the damage near the place and there is a high chance they will attack us since it''s near the border of ours and the Land of Iron." Kakashi said as he was ready to lay out the plan in order to escape. "Oh no.. I am not going to walk the return path." Aoto protested. Kakashi and Itachi looked at Aoto in confusion. He wasn''t someone of a tantrum person so what was he up to? Corazon already had the sling ring on his fingers and proceeded to open a portal. And for the first time Kakashi and others saw the portal and from the portal they could see the lush trees on the other side. They were stupefied seeing this. Kakashi and others had only seen them using shield and swords before, but they had never seen anything like this. "What is this?" Aoto replied. He walked right in, and looking at it, the others did too, crossing the portal. At first, they couldn''t believe it, but when they found themselves in the same forest, they were quite taken aback. They had covered such a long distance in mere seconds. "This is amazing," Itachi couldn''t help but be impressed. "Did you create this technique?" Kakashi asked. He wanted to use his Sharingan, but using it again might cause him to enter sleep mode. Moreover, he had a feeling he wouldn''t be able to copy this technique, just like last time. "Something like that," Aoto didn''t elaborate. After they passed through, the portal closed. "This is truly the Land of Fire," Guy exclaimed, his surprise evident. They could already tell that they were only a few miles away from Konoha and would reach there in less than an hour. They started walking back home. "Kakashi-san, I know you''ll report what you''ve seen to Hokage-sama, but you should also let him know that I won''t share my techniques with anyone until I trust them enough. I won''t allow anyone to force me into it," Aoto said. This statement made Kakashi tense up, and he looked at Aoto. He had been contemplating what to report to the Hokage. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "I''ll convey the information," Kakashi nodded. "Guy-san, Itachi, I hope you can keep the details of this mission confidential," Aoto continued. Both Itachi and Guy nodded. As ninjas, secrecy was ingrained in them. "You can count on me," Guy said, and Itachi simply nodded. With those thoughts in mind, everyone soon returned to Konoha. After passing through the gate, they went their separate ways to complete their reporting tasks. "Do you think Konoha will remain uninvolved after what you''ve shown them?" Corazon asked, his smile replaced by seriousness. "I don''t really care. Danzo was taught a lesson long ago, and if he wants another confrontation, I''ll show him hell," Aoto replied in a cold voice. "The Hokage might not be pleased with that, and the other advisors might not be either." "Good, let them come. I want them to. I''ll treat them the same way I did Danzo." "Taking that route could put you in a precarious position," John said. "You don''t yet control all the financial power of Konoha." "I never said I wouldn''t teach them. I said I''ll choose who gets to learn about our magic," Aoto clarified. "Do you have some individuals in mind?" Corazon inquired. "I do, but it''s not yet the right time," Aoto replied. "What will you do with the beast?" John asked. "Hmm... I haven''t thought about it. We''ll see what we can do. For now, let it stay in the library. Make sure it doesn''t feel lonely. Instruct everyone to treat the Seven Tails as if it were one of us," Aoto said. "Are you sure about that?" Corazon questioned. "They have the same range of emotions as us, Corazon. Just because they''re powerful doesn''t mean they lack emotions," Aoto explained. Although they found it odd, they soon reached home, and everyone stared at them with wide eyes. Especially Shikuro, who seemed quite tense. "Hey, we''re back," Aoto greeted. "The shops are closed, but everyone''s gathered in the main shop, the bakery." "Thank goodness you''re here." "What''s going on?" Aoto was a bit confused. "Do you even know what you brought into the library?" Shikuro practically yelled upon seeing Aoto''s return. After the Seven Tails was brought in, it had tried to escape. However, the library''s power was too strong for it, rendering it immobile. It could still emit shrill cries, and since only Aoto had control over the library, no one else could enter it. Shikuro had entered and immediately recognized what it was. He forbade everyone from entering until Aoto arrived. He could guess what had happened, as he himself understood magic. He had been concerned about them and had nearly rushed to them to check their condition. However, he stopped himself, considering various factors. Since the library was connected to Aoto, it meant he was fine. Having the Seven Tails in the backyard was a significant matter that could disrupt the balance of power in the world. He hoped it wouldn''t lead to another war. "Yes, he will be our new friend from now on." Aoto replied with a smile and all he got in return was a hit on the head by Arya, Winry, Edward and Shikuro together. "In no way that beast is going to be our friend." Everyone shouted together. 130. Who is on whose side After much deliberation, Aoto eventually succeeded in arranging for the man-beast to take residence within the library. He ensured that the creature would be provided with food and water just like an ordinary human. However, Aoto took precautions to soundproof and isolate the area around Chomei within the library, preventing the creature''s screams from disturbing others who were studying. Although everyone reluctantly agreed to this plan, it was eventually settled. They went on to discuss the recent events, and the more they heard, the greater their surprise. "John has made significant progress." "Corazon has as well." "Both of them possess a warrior''s spirit. Shikuro, you must keep up, or you''ll fall behind." "Come on, my magic skills surpass Corazon''s." "Skill isn''t the only factor. We all need to put in the effort." They engaged in conversations about the recent occurrences and even reflected on how they could have handled the situation better. "What are your thoughts on Itachi?" John inquired. "What about him?" Aoto asked, his confusion evident. "Wasn''t he a member of the Anbu?" Corazon questioned. "So? There''s a strong possibility that Danzo deliberately used Itachi and informed the Land of Waterfalls about our plans. Maybe that shit sought the assistance of the Seven-Tails jinchuriki, maybe he didn''t. But in the end, we emerged victorious and managed to deal with Chomei. Danzo will probably receive a report from Itachi, which will make him fear us even more. After all, even a tailed beast is powerless before us," Aoto explained. John and Corazon both smiled at this. Aoto had thoroughly considered the situation. "We should seize the opportunity and deal with him," Corazon suggested. "This scoundrel doesn''t even value his own shinobi," John added, his anger evident. "He''s willing to sacrifice anything for Konoha''s so-called ''safety.'' However, we''re not yet capable of dealing with him unless he willingly comes to our turf here. Our chance will come, so don''t worry. We need to remain vigilant. I want him to suffer and witness all his allies giving up on him willingly. That would be true justice for him, considering his past actions and what he''s likely to do in the future," Aoto declared. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
"Hokage-sama, I present the report," Kakashi stated, placing a substantial file on the table before the Hokage. While Kakashi typically reported directly to the Hokage only for high-level missions, this time he felt it necessary to provide a written report due to the mission''s nature. Hiruzen, the Hokage, didn''t expect anything out of the ordinary as he began reading the report. However, his usually calm expression transformed into one of astonishment as he read further. He revisited certain passages and then glanced at Kakashi, trying to determine if the contents were indeed real. After several minutes of reading, Hiruzen finished the entire report. He swiftly ignited the file with a burst of fire, surprising Kakashi and the concealed ANBU guards who were observing. "Please leave us," Hiruzen instructed. Subtle movements were followed by complete silence as the ANBU exited the room. "Where is the Seven-Tails currently?" Hiruzen inquired. "They claim to have sent it into a different dimension. Based on the information provided by Guy and Itachi, this seems plausible. If there are no reports of the Seven-Tails appearing in other parts of the world, it''s likely that they did indeed send it to another dimension," Kakashi explained. "Do you trust their words?" "They''ve shown compassion in saving us and have cared for the children we rescued. I don''t believe there''s a reason to doubt their intentions or words. However, they did mention that they won''t teach their techniques to just anyone; it''s at their discretion whom they choose to teach," Kakashi replied. "Are these techniques highly valuable?" "They involve creating portals, which is a significant skill on its own. However, Aoto mentioned that the techniques are relatively slow and not particularly suited for shinobi use," Kakashi answered. "What do you think, Kakashi?" Hiruzen asked as he valued the thoughts of Hiruzen. "I think that Aoto is making progress in whatever he is doing and this is just the start. John and Corazon would be great assets if they can be shinobis but I don''t think Aoto would allow and nor will the policy of Konoha. It will be good if we support Aoto and make him believe Konoha more. From what I have seen he doesn''t see Konoha as place which he can trust completely, probably due to the fact of what happened during the Kyuubi attack." Kakashi said. Hiruzen hearing this just smoked his pipe and looked at the ceiling with contemplation. He had noticed the fact too that Aoto didn''t trust Konoha completely. Probably due to the Kyuubi attack and also whatever happened between Danzo and him. He was confused before about what had happened because he had seen Shikuro being loyal to Aoto instead of Danzo. At the beginning he thought it as a fa?ade and till this day an Anbu watches over Shikuro to see if he was being sneaky and maintaining his communication with Danzo. But after several months, there was none. So it only meant one thing and that something happened between them and Danzo had backed off. But this definitely put a scar on him and he wasn''t ready to trust Konoha as of yet. "Sigh! I hope that Aoto teaches those techniques to others too. Can you ask from him? He seems to trust you a lot." Hiruzen asked. "Hokage-sama, if I go now and ask him, he will probably think that you asked me to do this. He is quite intelligent. If he wants to teach me, he will do so by himself." Kakashi said. He didn''t have any intention to go and ask Aoto. Aoto had helped him a lot and he doesn''t want to do anything malicious to him. "I understand. You can leave. Don''t mention whatever happened to anyone. The world has one less tailed beast, that is a topic to rejoice." "Yes, Hokage-sama." Kakashi replied and with that he had vanished. 131. You will die too Itachi, upon his return, took some time to rest before heading to the Root headquarters to deliver his report. As Aoto had mentioned, Itachi had been tasked with spying on Aoto and assessing his capabilities during an ambush. Instead of writing a report, he directly briefed Danzo. The more Danzo heard, the more he trembled. He hadn''t intended for an ambush involving a tailed beast. His initial goal was merely to test whether Aoto was as fearsome as he had appeared during their previous encounter, or if it had all been an illusion. However, with each passing detail, the scars of his past resurfaced to haunt him. Even a tailed beast had disappeared. Despite Konoha being on high alert when reports of a tailed beast near the border emerged, he had never anticipated an event of such magnitude. "Never breathe a word of what transpired to anyone," Danzo ordered. Itachi bowed and departed. After a few moments, Danzo continued, addressing someone named Fu. "Make certain no one saw you leave or return, Fu." "I assure you, Danzo-sama, I went unnoticed." "Hmm..."
A month had elapsed since then, and many changes had occurred within Konoha. Some skilled blacksmiths had arrived in the village following Aoto and the others'' return. As a result, Aoto had to recruit individuals to learn blacksmithing from them, aiming to craft katana and other weapons from the strongest metal available. Naturally, all of this occurred under close supervision. The Hokage himself arranged for a separate location near Aoto''s residence to ensure everything proceeded in an orderly and secure manner. Edward was entrusted with the responsibility, and he managed it to the best of his abilities. One aspect that greatly surprised Aoto was that the Hokage chose not to inquire about his techniques and didn''t mention the completed mission either. This left Aoto somewhat taken aback. "Has the Hokage turned into a saint or something?" However, as long as this lack of interference continued, Aoto was content. Another astonishing development was that the Uchiha clan was permitted to travel outside the village to distribute some of the supplies Aoto provided. Konoha allowed this without imposing any restrictions. They were even granted permission to transport Adamantium and return with chakra-conductive rocks. This mission was highly confidential, so the arrangement left Aoto quite surprised. It almost seemed as if Konoha was granting the Uchiha some leniency. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Could this be a strategic move to assess the Uchiha''s actions and intentions, planning to intervene later? Only time would unveil the truth. But one thing for sure was happening to Aoto. And that was his income was rising very fast. The sale of kunai and shuriken made of Adamantium and chakra conductive mental had slowly started and this was making his pockets full pretty fast to which was he was very thankful. He would soon be the wealthiest individual in Konoha, which would grant him more freedom. Perhaps he needed to establish a company that could consolidate all his diverse holdings and manage them while he lounged around. Of course, his "lounging around" actually meant studying magic and honing his combat skills, given that he still considered himself the weakest. One reason to celebrate was that he had finally progressed from being a novice talent to a low-grade talent. This achievement brought immense relief to Aoto, who had previously felt as if it might take another century or so to reach this point. Now that he had overcome the initial hurdle, he was determined to conquer the next. Supreme talent was his next aspiration! After all, dreaming was a prerogative of life, wasn''t it? However, there was another notable event that took place. Chomei was extremely agitated during the initial days. It struggled, attempted to break free, and made every possible effort to escape. It even cried out in an attempt to be released from its captivity, but to no avail. It''s important to mention that Chomei couldn''t maintain its actions indefinitely. The jinchuriki would eventually deplete their chakra, requiring replenishment. Once the jinchuriki had been adequately nourished, Chomei would emerge and proceed to rampage aimlessly, seemingly unaffected. The system designated this as autopilot mode for the jinchuriki. However, if this state persisted, it could lead to the jinchuriki''s demise. Moreover, if Chomei remained unable to break free from the seal, Chomei itself would perish. It appeared that the individual currently stuck in the autopilot, zombie-like mode didn''t have much time left. Hence, they needed to extract Chomei promptly before time ran out. This cycle continued for several days. In the recent days, Chomei''s rampaging had ceased, and it seemed to have accepted its fate. Aoto had been engaging with it since its capture, allowing it to observe the vast library where it had been imprisoned. While Chomei was intrigued by what it saw, it didn''t pay much heed and primarily focused on finding ways to escape, which invariably ended in failure. Hence, out of the blue, Aoto had decided to initiate a conversation with Chomei and explore if there was a solution to their predicament. Thus, one weekend evening when everyone had completed their tasks and was engrossed in reading at the library, Aoto approached Chomei, who had yet to fully manifest. "Hey there, are you willing to talk?" The jinchuriki, who appeared to be in slumber, opened its eyes and regarded Aoto with crimson irises. Within seconds, the jinchuriki''s form dissipated, replaced by the enormous insect with seven wings on its back. Hearing the commotion, everyone in the library rushed over. "Who in the world wants to converse with you, you despicable individual? I don''t comprehend what''s amiss with this place, but once I''m liberated, the first person I''ll kill is you," Chomei shrieked in its high-pitched voice. Those around remained spectators, interested in observing Aoto''s next moves. "You''ll perish if the jinchuriki dies. You''re aware of that, right?" Aoto inquired. This caused Chomei to pause momentarily before responding. "Who said I''ll perish? I''m on the brink of breaking free from this seal, and when I achieve that, you''ll be my first victim." 132. That is impossible "Oh. It''s good that you will be free from the chains of this half dead man." Aoto said. "Eh! Aren''t you scared of me?" Chomei asked. It had many questions in its head but it had too much ego to even ask. And addition to its hatred to humans, it didn''t even bother to ask. "Scared? Why? You aren''t able to do anything to us even after you controlling the jinchuriki and close to breaking the seal. After you break the seal, your imprisonment isn''t going to vanish itself." "I will kill you." Chomei shouted and tried to stab Aoto but it couldn''t move. "I feel like somehow Aoto is deliberately inciting the beast." Corazon said. "I think so too." Shikuro and others too nodded at it. Shikuro was a bit unsettled at the beginning when he saw Chomei in the library but he has also learned a lot in the library and came to know about beings that were much powerful than the tailed beasts. It made him fear at the beginning because of the presence of these beasts but now that he had studied more he could understand that only knowledge would help him fight against these beasts. And though he wasn''t powerful enough as of yet, he could see himself fighting those kinds of monsters and thus was actively learning magic and sorcery. And another thing was that these beings wouldn''t necessarily come and knock at their home. But nonetheless, not only Shikuro, but everyone who had been in the library for a long time had enough knowledge by this point and their perspective had changed a lot. "Can you chill for a bit and take things a little slow?" Aoto asked. "What does that mean?" Chomei asked as he was confused about the new type of accent and language that Aoto had just used. "Huh! C''mon, don''t tell me you haven''t talked to anyone since Hagoromo talked with you." Aoto asked and instantly the flickering of the wings of Chomei stopped. Chomei seemed to stiffen up and had it''s head slowly bent down and looked at Aoto. "How do you know that name?" Chomei asked and this time there was no threat in it''s voice but carried a sense of apprehensiveness. "What? You thought I know nothing and brought you here for fun?" Aoto asked and had a smirk on his face. The others were confused as they had never heard that name before. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "Then what do you want from me? And you haven''t replied of how you know that name. People have forgotten that name a long time ago." "it doesn''t matter of how I know that name and I want nothing from you. I just need to derail the plans of someone who wants to revive the ten tails and you are just a piece of the puzzle." Aoto said. "How... How do you know of the ten tails? And who wants to revive it?" Chomei asked. "Sigh! It''s Madara Uchiha." "That guy!" Chomei had anger in its voice as it repeated that name. It had known that name for quite a long time. Had even controlled its friend Kyuubi before and caused havoc. "That is impossible. Madara Uchiha is dead." Shikuro shouted from behind. He had been listening to their conversation closely. It was the first time he had seen someone converse with a tailed beast, and it was quite exciting. So when he heard that Madara Uchiha wanted to revive something he denied the possibility. Though he didn''t understand what ten tails was, he knew for sure that Madara Uchiha was dead. "Shikuro, you have learnt magic. Is it that weird for you if a person is brought back to life or made to live for a long time?" Aoto asked. "But you are wrong. The first hokage defeated and killed him long ago." Shikuro shouted almost unable to believe that Madara could be alive. "It''s a little complicated. I will explain you later, just assume that Madara is half alive now." Aoto said as it was a long story involving Obito and Madara''s manipulation and it would take time to explain. "If he is half alive now, then we should go and kill him right now. Are the Uchiha''s harboring the criminal? If so we should go and ask them to hand him over." Shikuro asked. "Shikuro, you have been here for quite sometime. Tell me, have you ever seen me having a nasty attitude towards the Uchiha? I should have been away from them since I know Madara is alive." "Eh! Umm.." Shikuro didn''t know how to reply. Aoto had always been neutral about his attitude to people. "Then how should we deal with Madara?" "He will have his own time and don''t need to bother with him. Right now we have Chomei and thus have the piece of the puzzle. We just need for the enemy to make a move." Aoto said. "But.." Shikuro wanted to catch the criminal. "Shikuro, we are not powerful enough to catch Madara or his minion. Not yet. He isn''t going anywhere. Let''s take this slow and steady."Aoto said. "Now Chomei, as you have heard, you won''t be able to leave this place anytime soon. But you have been in captivity for sometime now. Once you break the seal, you can go and read the books here. Who knows, maybe you will learn a lot more here." "What? You think I will be interested in some human made books?" Chomei had his own pride and would never read the books of humans. "You will be bored here anyways.. Why not entertain yourself a bit." Aoto asked. But Chomei didn''t even bother. He was still hung up of how Aoto knew the name of Hagoromo and even knew of ten tails. He wanted the answers to that but Aoto refused to do so. Shikuro was also conflicted, and wanted to inform Hokage or Danzo about the danger of Madara but Aoto wouldn''t allow him. He knew that the moment he stepped out to inform about Madara, the contract seal would break and he would be killed. He wouldn''t even be able to utter about it to the Hokage before dying. 133. It can read Aoto no longer bothered with Chomei. Since he was stubborn, let him be. Being a jinchuriki would at least allow it to move around, but here he could hardly move an inch, and that too with the body of the jinchuriki. Aoto knew that one day, Chomei would get bored and take a look at the books, and that would be enough. He wanted to see if these beasts had some magical talent or not. Tailed beasts doing magic. Now that would be one hell of a scene. After the brief conversation, Aoto was back at home with Shikuro following behind him. His face screamed uneasiness and anger. Upon returning home, everybody sat down. "I believe you have questions, Shikuro. Ask away," Aoto said. "Did you always know about Madara?" Shikuro asked. Aoto was always very enigmatic. Even with all the magical knowledge he had been consuming for such a long time, there were things that Aoto had said before that didn''t make sense to him. So he wanted to know the truth now. He was under Aoto''s control anyways, so it didn''t matter even if he knew the truth; it wouldn''t go out anyway. "Yes, I have always known," Aoto admitted. "Then why didn''t you try to stop the Kyuubi attack? Your parents died in that," Shikuro asked. "Shikuro, do you think my knowledge came before I was out of the womb of my mother? Magic has shown me many things, and it came to me slowly," Aoto replied, easily deflecting the fact that he was transmigrated. Shikuro fell silent, and what Aoto said made sense. If he had known, he would have definitely saved the lives of his parents. "We now know magic, and we can definitely go and confront Madara now. We can ask for help from the Hokage too," Shikuro still held onto the idea that they should go and battle Madara. "Shikuro, it''s a bit more complicated than you think. Remember what happened in the Hidden Rain Village, right? The guy is just one of Madara''s pawns. Remember, he is just one of them; there are more. Tell me, do you still think you can take them down?" Aoto said. "That... That guy... He..." Shikuro shuddered a bit when he heard that. That guy had scared him a long time ago, and now he was just one of the pawns. There was a long pause, and Corazon was the one who broke the silence. "What is this ten tails?" Corazon asked. Aoto went on to explain where the tailed beasts originated from and what kind of being the ten tails was. The more they heard, the more surprised and horrified they became. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Aoto, we can never let a ten tails come back to life," Edward said. The tale of the ten tails reminded him of the Father. Back then, it was just a country, and now it was the whole world. And it was even more cruel. "Yes, that is our goal. I am in business so my main aim is to spread all over the world and also ensure that humanity never suffers, or else our business is over. John, you asked me before why I am involved in politics and power play; this is the reason," Aoto said. The others nodded and also understood why Aoto was interested in the tailed beasts and even allowed Chomei to learn magic. Aoto talked more about the origin of ninjutsu and the ¨­tsutsuki Clan. Shikuro''s jaw dropped when he heard this. When he started learning magic, he had come to know about the universe and even the multiverse. So he knew that there were aliens, but he had never expected that even his own world was touched by aliens. And that they had survived the disaster. The atmosphere at home had calmed down by the time Aoto spoke of the horrors of aliens and their power. They all clenched their fists and vowed to themselves that they wouldn''t let themselves be fodder for someone else''s power. After some more discussion, they left for the library to study again. Until now, they had been studying for fun and gaining knowledge, but this time it was for a purpose. "Remember, business is one of the ways that humanity can have better contact with each other. The more business we do, the more people will interact with each other. Only through interaction can we let go of the hatred that has accumulated throughout battles and wars," Aoto said as they left for the library. From then on, the atmosphere in the library changed a lot. Everyone started to work diligently, approaching business with more enthusiasm and studying magic with a purpose. They also treated Chomei just like any other human being. Chomei was taken aback at first as it had noticed that there was chakra in one of them, but even he was very polite to them and sometimes would come and talk about his kid to Chomei, even though Chomei barely replied. Business was booming, and one night, about six months later, Chomei was finally freed from the jinchuriki as the person died after breaking the seal. Of course, Chomei was exhilarated and thought it was finally free, but the library was there to bring back the harsh reality. At this point, Chomei knew that this library was its new prison, and there was nothing it could do to escape. Chomei used all of its power to break free from the confinement, but it was in vain. "Are you done with your tantrums?" Aoto asked after seeing Chomei calm down. Chomei didn''t speak and just looked at Aoto with no expression. Aoto didn''t care and slowly a book flew towards him, floating near Chomei. "Read it," Aoto said. The book floated up and opened right in front of Chomei''s face. Chomei wanted to destroy the book, but once again, the library constrained it. In the end, Chomei was forced to read through the book. At first, Chomei didn''t even bother and was just doing it to pass the time. But the more it read, the more surprised it became. Surprisingly, after Chomei finished reading the book, it wanted to read more, and the library sent a book to Chomei by itself. The library seemed to have a kind of awareness when it came to Aoto, so he had instructed the library to allow Chomei to read the books whenever it wanted. Today was the day that instruction was fulfilled. 134. There is Law here The subsequent six months seemed to pass in a blur for everyone. Chomei, after the transformative event, underwent a significant change. At the very least, its incessant screaming ceased. Chomei became engrossed in reading and learning, growing more frantic as its knowledge expanded. After three months of immersive reading, Chomei even gained permission to be a spectator during the arena battles, a monthly event that allowed participants to assess their progress and identify areas for improvement. Chomei cheered on the combatants, which brought a smile to Aoto''s face. Perhaps it was the influence of magic or the camaraderie they extended to Chomei for the first time, treating it like any other individual. Chomei must have cherished that sense of belonging. Aoto found no need to express this sentiment in words; the actions of himself and his friends spoke volumes. Perhaps these actions gradually softened Chomei''s disposition. However, the changes weren''t limited to the shop. Another addition to the group was a young child named Torune. Over time, Torune grew under the watchful eyes of everyone present. This was the same Torune who was supposed to be under Danzo''s control but was now experiencing a childhood of care and nurturing. He had acquired multiple father and mother figures in his life by this point. Shikuro was a loving father, yet at the end of the day, he remained a shinobi who had spent too long lurking in the shadows. Besides, the child lacked a mother figure. Thus, all the members of the shop, including Aoto, took on the role of raising Torune. Shikuro had already introduced poisonous bugs into the child''s body from the start, but Aoto advised postponing Torune''s magical apprenticeship. Shikuro excelled as a shinobi, but magic was a self-taught skill for them. Mastering magic required a profound understanding of language and writing. Until Torune became proficient in these areas, it was deemed better to delay his magical education. The business experienced significant growth during this period. The Land of Iron and the Land of Fire commenced trade in Adamantium, and some blacksmiths from Konoha even learned the craft from the blacksmiths of the Land of Iron. Adamantium was selling at an impressive rate. At the initiation of trade, both Konoha and the Land of Iron were cautious and wary of potential disruptions from other villages. Therefore, they maintained secrecy surrounding the trade operations. Transactions were facilitated using magical pouches provided by Aoto, ensuring that even if an ambush occurred, the core material wouldn''t fall into enemy hands. Another unique feature of the magical pouch was its ease of destruction. If their defenses appeared compromised, they could destroy the pouch, causing its contents to be sent into an unknown space, beyond the reach of potential adversaries. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. With the successful trade of Adamantium, Konoha rapidly accumulated wealth. In light of this, and recognizing the potential for further business opportunities, the Hokage himself ordered an exploration of additional avenues for trade.
Aoto had his brows arched these days. Everything was fine but he wasn''t exactly happy at this point. He had been listening to rumors now. Of how Naruto Uzumaki was the fox demon. So much so that Naruto was now ''fired'' from the orphanage, if at all that was possible. "The wheels have started turning.." Aoto thought. Danzo still did his work according to the original story. This made Aoto very angry. This guy really had the audacity after being taught a lesson. "Danzo, I will make sure that you will get the brand of the greatest traitor of Konoha. Since you love Konoha so much with your twisted mentality, I will make sure that it will be twisted for the people of Konoha." Though there were only whispers but Aoto and other could distinctly hear them. Shikuro was a little embarrassed when he heard the rumors. He knew who was responsible for the rumors and now that he had seen Chomei with his own eyes, he could tell that the tailed beasts had been treated bad since history. He had spoken to Chomei to quite a lot of times and had heard how the humans had treated them over the age, even their own first Hokage distributed the tailed beasts like some candy to be thrown to kids. And though Chomei wasn''t particularly angry with the first Hokage, since he wasn''t that cruel, the humans as a whole really didn''t give them any kind of love. It was a Sunday, the weather was quite pleasant with little to no clouds in the sky and wind slowly blowing. Aoto was sitting on his chair and playing the Mario game that he had built with the help of the team. He was the one who came up with the ''idea'' of games and of course he started with Mario. At first the team was skeptical, but once they made and started playing they were instantly hooked. And right now the copies of the games were being sold to the people of Konoha. *kaching* Another source of funds and money for Aoto! As he was playing, Corazon came to the shop huffing and puffing. It was Sunday, so his shop was closed and even Aoto''s shop wasn''t supposed to be opened but he had got himself the new model of computer and had put it on the desk of the shop since, his own place was a little crammed up at the moment with loads of magic books. Corazon took a chair on the side and instantly started puffing out smoke. Normally Aoto didn''t mind but from the corner of his eye he could see that something was bothering Corazon. Aoto paused his play and asked. "What is it?" "I saw Law." Corazon straight up said. "What?" Aoto was alarmed when he heard that. Law didn''t belong to this world so how could he see Law. "What do you mean?" "I meant, I saw someone who is taking the same path as Law. Hated by everyone, shunned. He looks like as if he has Amber Lead syndrome. And it pains me seeing him like that." Corazon said. "What the hell are you talking about. There is no amber lead syndrome here. Not that I know of." "I know, I am talking about the fox kid." 135. The kid has a name
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. 136. Naruto Uzumaki, come out "That''s just a lie. The kid didn''t have money. He''s lucky that I even gave the mask free of cost," the shopkeeper said. "Then you should be lucky that Corazon didn''t ask for change," Aoto replied, giving tit for tat. This left the shopkeeper speechless because Corazon had paid almost three times the price of the mask. He could have made a half lie before, but he couldn''t make another lie now because many people had seen him picking the money from the ground. "The money doesn''t matter. It''s your employee. He''s a spy," the shopkeeper now knew that if he continued down the money path, he would dig his own hole. "How do you know he''s a spy?" Aoto asked again. "He helped the demon kid. That''s why," the shopkeeper and others shouted. "Oh! How do you know that he is the demon kid? Did an official notice ever come down to each one of us that he is a demon kid?" Aoto asked and finally caught them at their throats. The Hokage had always put a gag order on the Kyuubi event and made sure nobody talked about it. But the rumors spread swiftly, and since the hate was still raw, they lapped up the rumor like some kind of puppy served milk on a plate. "No... But... We heard the rumors, and the kid has whisker marks on his face," one person said, and Aoto was sure that he was a shinobi and belonged to Danzo. Danzo now seemed to be trying underhanded tactics to get under his skin since he failed to hurt him. "So having whisker marks on the face makes a person a demon kid... Hmm... Shikuro!" Aoto shouted in the end. After a few seconds, Shikuro came out, a bit annoyed because he was in the middle of learning magic and practicing. He had an idea of what was happening since the library could perfectly show what was happening outside. "What''s the problem?" Shikuro asked as he came out and looked at the men surrounding the bakery. He also noticed some of Danzo''s men but didn''t call them out. "They said having whisker marks means that a kid is the demon kid. Give all of them whisker marks, and let''s see if they can become demons," Aoto said, with a calm and straight face. "What?" "Are you nuts?!" "What the hell are you talking about?" You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Protests erupted as everyone roared and shouted in response to Aoto''s absurd words. It was preposterous. Shikuro seemed unfazed by the sudden protest. Without hesitation, he drew his kunai and lunged at the shopkeeper, who had been talking incessantly. Shikuro struck him in the chest and used his body as a sort of cushion as they both fell to the ground, with Shikuro pinning his arms down, rendering him immobile. The whole sequence happened so quickly that the others didn''t have time to react and simply scattered away. They couldn''t believe that one of Aoto''s subordinates would be so ruthless as to attack without hesitation. "What are you doing? No... No... Someone save me," the shopkeeper cried when he felt the cold touch of the iron kunai on his cheek. There was no cut yet, but with a bit more pressure, blood would surely flow. He cried out again, but nobody came to his rescue until someone spoke up in a louder tone. "Shikuro, can you not play pranks on this man any longer? He might die of shock." Shikuro, who had been holding the kunai, immediately withdrew it and stood upright, leaving the man to crawl away as fast as he could. The one who had spoken was the Hokage. "Hokage-sama!" "Hokage-sama is here. He will ensure justice." "Yes, he will be impartial." Aoto couldn''t help but smirk as he heard the murmurs of these individuals. Shikuro bowed his head but remained silent. Hiruzen slowly stepped forward and looked at Aoto and Shikuro before letting out a sigh. "Why are you both playing pranks on the citizens on the weekend?" Hiruzen asked. "Well, they came up with the rumor that my employee was a spy, so I had to use their own logic against them," Aoto shrugged in response. "What logic are you talking about? Am I wrong to call the demon kid the demon kid?" one person spoke up. While most people in the crowd respected the Hokage, not everyone was silent, especially after seeing Aoto speak up. "Didn''t I issue a gag order on talking about the demon?" Hiruzen spoke slowly, ensuring that his words were heard by everyone. This sent shudders through the crowd, as they hadn''t expected the Hokage to bring up the initial notice that had been given to the entire village. "But Hokage-sama, the fox demon killed many of our people. Should we just forget about them?" one man justified his hatred towards the kid. "I lost my parents to the demon. So, does that mean I should direct my hatred towards a child? If your parents committed a crime, should you, as their child, pay for it?" Aoto asked, and his words silenced everyone. In their pursuit of jealousy and hatred, they had forgotten a crucial element: Aoto had suffered too. Those trying to instigate conflict on behalf of Danzo had overlooked Aoto''s personal history. Their attempts to drag Aoto through the mud using the fox demon had now backfired. Hokage remained silent, allowing Aoto to speak further, hoping that the people would become more logical and empathetic. "Naruto Uzumaki.. Come out.. " Aoto suddenly shouted. His words echoed among the wooden walls of the shops on the side of the streets. There was no response. "Naruto.. I know you are here. You can come out. Nobody will hurt you. I promise you that." Aoto shouted again. After a few more seconds, from the side of a shop a little far, a small boy with spiky yellow hair, noticeable whiskers on his cheeks came out. He was wearing a white shirt which had the sign of Uzumaki whirlpool on the front and a half blue pant. 137. Dominic Toretto vibes The eyes of everyone narrowed as Naruto appeared. He held his head low and looked around with fear and trepidation. Hate had been directed at him ever since someone labeled him a demon child. The orphanage had cast him out, people despised him and gazed at him with eyes brimming with malice, the friends he once had at the orphanage abandoned him, and some had even physically assaulted him. He felt like he was trapped in a never-ending nightmare, and the worst part was that he didn''t even understand why he was hated. All he knew was that he was called the demon child, and apparently, some kind of demon lurked within him, the same demon that had destroyed the village. That''s all he could piece together from the hushed whispers. He had tried to examine himself, but he couldn''t find any trace of such a demon within him. The only relief he had was the Hokage, who had provided him with a home and money for his own sustenance. But he was just a child; how could he take care of himself? When Corazon had stood up for him, Naruto''s curiosity got the better of him. He began secretly following Corazon and discovered that he lived nearby, working for someone named Aoto. It was during this covert investigation that the shopkeeper and others arrived, pounding on Aoto''s door. Naruto felt guilty but didn''t know how he could be of help, until Aoto called his name. At first, he had wanted to run away, but upon seeing the Hokage, he summoned the courage to step forward. Even though he had emerged, he could still sense the same hatred in the eyes of everyone present, except for Aoto and the Hokage. "Hello, Naruto. My name is Aoto Yamazaki," Aoto introduced himself with a warm smile, instantly making Naruto feel a bit better. Yet, he couldn''t ignore the hushed whispers around him, branding him as the demon child. "Hello," Naruto replied timidly, bowing with proper manners. "Naruto, would you like to work with me here?" Aoto asked directly, not beating around the bush. "What?" Naruto exclaimed. "Is he serious?" "This will ruin his business!" Whispers and murmurs filled the air, but no one dared to voice their thoughts openly. The Hokage contemplated intervening, but he reminded himself that he wasn''t Naruto''s parent, so he refrained from interfering. Naruto was taken aback; he hadn''t expected Aoto''s first words to him to be an offer of employment. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Um... I don''t know what kind of work you''re talking about, and I''m still too small," Naruto hesitated. "No need for formal work. You can assist me in moving things from time to time, and as you grow older, you can contribute more to my business and assist my colleagues," Aoto explained. Naruto fell silent, and those around them continued to gaze at Aoto like he was a fool. The entire village knew about the demon child, and if Aoto indeed "hired" him, it would spell doom for his business. After all, hadn''t he become wealthy with such ease? Now he risked losing it all. "I can''t do it. If I work with you, the villagers won''t come to buy from your shop anymore, and uncle I don''t know you well enough." Naruto said after careful consideration, surprising everyone present, including Aoto himself. He hadn''t expected Naruto, whom he thought of as a bit of an idiot, to think so considerately about his business. "Did he become an idiot later in life? Maybe he was sane during his earlier years?" Aoto wondered, perplexed by Naruto''s unexpected insight. "You don''t have to care about them. They will be banned from buying anything from my shop and that includes the new version computers, eating at KFC, or let their kids study in the medical school or get help from the doctors who would pass from the medical school.." Aoto said. And those words went straight like a dagger through the hearts of the people present. They understood the banning thing, but the computers? What was that about? The people of Konoha didn''t know that the computers was the brainchild of Aoto or the fact that the medical school was totally funded by Aoto himself. The people wanted to speak up and ask but seeing the glaring eyes of Aoto, they shut their mouth. They knew that one wrong word and Shikuro would definitely beat them up and they had a feeling that Hokage wouldn''t stop them. "And about not knowing me well, you can trust me. I am not some kind of spy that wants to kidnap you. You can ask the Hokage about it. But in return you will be my family." Aoto said. "Family?" Naruto muttered. The word family held weight for him as he yearned for it for such a long time that he thought he would never get one. "Naruto.. You can trust Aoto.. He has done a lot for Konoha and like you he also lost his family." Hiruzen too supported Aoto. He wanted Hokage to say that he wasn''t some kind of spy but he spoke more than Aoto expected which was good. "Family! If I stay here, will I get more money to eat?" Naruto asked as he felt like he was getting less money to eat and didn''t have enough savings. Aoto listening to this laughed and said. "You can eat as much as you want at my home, but not bad things that will harm your health." Aoto said. "Hokage-sama, aren''t you going to check Corazon if he is some kind of spy?" One person among the crowd felt like the whole point was getting deviated and wanted to remind him. "Corazon isn''t some kind of spy, we have already checked. Just because someone threw money at other didn''t make the other a bad person. What I would advice is reeling on the human vices and lead your life free of it, and only then you can find peace and happiness. Don''t do something which you don''t want your kid to do in the future. The will of Fire should passed on, but we have to make sure that fire isn''t a poisonous one." The Hokage said in a loud voice for everyone to listen. 138. Welcome to the family "Now everyone, please go back. There has been enough drama today." Hiruzen said and this time it wasn''t a plead, but an order. The people around didn''t stand long and disappeared within half a minute leaving Naruto, Aoto and Hiruzen. "Let''s discuss more inside." Aoto said as he invited both of them. Seeing the Hokage nearby Naruto got more courage and followed him inside. They went up to his home and Aoto served them tea. Naruto was the curious who looked everything around in wonder and a part of him if he would live here in the future. "Good tea." Hiruzen said as he took a sip. "I didn''t like tea once. Glad that I changed my mind later." "Hahaha .. I always liked tea." Hiruzen said. There was a moment of silence after this as Hiruzen took couple more sips. His eyes wandered around to see his place and everything seemed to be at it''s place. Shikuro had gone back to his home after Aoto told him to do so, John and Arya had already moved to a new place because Arya felt like she needed some space and Aoto was happy to get her and her brother a new home. In fact, now Hot Pie too had a separate home. Of course that didn''t mean they didn''t meet. The reading and training in the library still continued like always. "Hokage-sama, I want to adopt Naruto." Aoto straight up spoke his thoughts. Hiruzen just looked at Aoto for a second and took another sip. Naruto shuddered when he heard someone was willing to adopt him. He had seen many family coming and taking away children at the orphanage. He would get himself ready and hoped that someone would adopt him but none of the families paid attention. "Naruto, can you go out for a second and let me talk with Aoto here privately?" Hiruzen asked. Naruto nodded and slowly got up, but from his face one could see the excitement. Naruto stepped out of the house leaving Aoto and Hiruzen alone. "Do you really wish to adopt him?" Hiruzen asked. "Why not. He is being ostracized by the whole village and I don''t wish to see that." Aoto said with calm tone. "But that demon killed your parents. Are you sure you can look at him without hatred?" Hiruzen asked. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "Hokage-sama, I think you very know what actually killed my parents and who was actually responsible for the death of my parents and innocent lives in Konoha that day. Sure the demon was the only who killed my parents, but we both know there is something more here." Aoto said. Hiruzen looked at him for quite a few seconds and then replied. "You seem to know a lot. Kakashi told me that you and your friends knows techniques never seen before. Is that true?" "Yes." Aoto didn''t deny at all. "And before you ask anything I will say this. I know of the new knowledge because it was the heritage of my parents. My father wasn''t very good in those techniques nor did he care to learn. Before he died he told me of the books left behind at our home and after I got the books I understood that this thing is more valuable than I thought and thus taught myself." Aoto said in one breath. Hiruzen was surprised that Aoto''s father had access to other kind of techniques and never showed. It was acceptable as many people weren''t born talented and only a few could bloom. Hiruzen was glad that Konoha had gained another genius. "Hmm.. So if Naruto joins your family, will he learn your techniques?" Hiruzen asked. "Yes. Of course, but I had said before, that I won''t share the books or the techniques with the Konoha, it''s too dangerous." Aoto said and he was very stern in his words with no space for negotiation. "I understand. Konoha will not ask anything from you. Naruto will handed over to you and I hope you teach him well. If he doesn''t learn the techniques of your clan, that is also fine, but I hope he can have a normal life." Hiruzen said. He was ashamed a bit for not able to remain true to his promise to Minato and thought maybe Aoto keeping him was the best part. Another reason being Aoto and his friends had already handled a tailed beast once so their techniques might be some kind of sealing jutsu, just like the Uzumaki clan. Hiruzen didn''t doubt Aoto''s loyalty ever, because he had given Konoha a lot by now in terms of money and knowledge. In the future, if he grew well, he was even ready to give away the Hokage position to him if he continued to grow well and powerful. Aoto didn''t expect that Hiruzen would say yes to his conditions this time too. Did he understand him wrongly or was the butterfly effect so strong that the mentality of Hiruzen had changed. Though he was nothing like Danzo, Hiruzen still wanted to control things from behind. "Aoto, I hope that you can make Naruto a very capable and upright shinobi who will protect Konoha." Hiruzen said. "You don''t need to worry about that. I will make sure that Naruto''s home will be Konoha now and forever." Aoto reassured. "From now on, Naruto will be handed over to you. There will be an Anbu always with him until he graduates from the academy." Hiruzen said. "Sure. As long as the Anbu doesn''t barge inside my place, he or she can do anything he or she wants." Aoto said. Hiruzen promised not to interfere into his life and will only care about Naruto. Hiruzen then called up Naruto. "Naruto, Aoto here wants to adopt you. Do you wish to be with him?" Hiruzen asked. "I.. I want to live with Aoto Uncle here." Naruto. "Naruto, I am not some uncle. At best I am big brother here. I am not that old you know." Aoto said. "I am sorry." Naruto felt bad and apologized. "Hahaha.. don''t take things too seriously. Welcome to the family Naruto." 139. This is troublesome "Aoto... Your business will be hurt for a bit because of what you did today," Hiruzen said as he got up. "I know if the people of Konoha show even a bit of hatred towards Naruto in my shop, I will ban them. I know that outside I don''t have any power but here I definitely do. And this will continue until this madness ends. If anybody sells my goods to the banned people, they will be banned too. Our computers are already being sold to the other nearby villages, and the ninja tools too, so they better think before they take any steps," Aoto said, his face showing indifference. Hiruzen nodded and decided that he would put up a public notice at this point and also inform people about Aoto banning anyone who mistreats Naruto. This was the correct way to do it. Kushina had faced bullying because of her hair, and her being a jinchuriki was always kept under wraps. But this idiot Danzo. Did he think he had done some kind of service? Hiruzen left, leaving only Aoto and Naruto in the room. Naruto was nervous as he didn''t know what to do or say. "Naruto, treat this as your own house. When does your school start?" Aoto asked, knowing that his session would start soon. "Thank you. Hokage-sama told me that I will have to attend the ninja academy in 2 months," Naruto said. "Good. You will be with my friend''s son too. I will take care of your expenses. By the way, Naruto, what do you want to be when you grow up?" Aoto asked. "What do I want to do when I grow up? I... I want to be the Hokage and gain the approval of everyone in the village," Naruto said. Hearing this, Aoto sighed. Even though he hadn''t attended school yet, he already had dreams of becoming Hokage. Damn you, Sarutobi! "Good. Try your best, and I will help you all I can," Aoto smiled, not letting his views of Hiruzen cloud his face at all. With that, he got up and started cleaning the teapot. Naruto just stood there, looking around. "Can I ask a question?" Naruto asked. "It better not be calling me uncle. I am not that old. You can call me ''brother'' or just ''Aoto'' by name," Aoto said. Naruto shook his head and said, "No... No... I want to ask why did you adopt me? Hokage-sama said that you will face problems for this." Naruto asked. Aoto stood silent for a minute and then said, This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Naruto, remember one thing: when you know that you and your ideals are right, you should stand by them, even if the world doesn''t view it that way. I knew that adopting you was the right thing to do, so I did it," Aoto said. "But Aoto-san, I don''t know anything about you, and you don''t know anything about me," Naruto said. "Damn! Why does this Naruto seem so knowledgeable for his age? Was he a transmigrator or something like that?" Aoto wondered. Naruto had grown up in an orphanage, so he had a fair share of worldly knowledge. "Naruto, don''t we have time now to get to know each other? We have a lifetime now," Aoto said. This brought tears to Naruto''s eyes. He had never been given assurance like this, nor did he have a family before, so Aoto''s words brought tears of joy. Aoto, seeing Naruto crying, could only go forward and hug him. After a bit of Naruto''s tears, he got up and asked if he could help, to which Aoto declined and just heated some food for Naruto. This guy just can''t live on ramen and needs other kinds of nourishment. So Aoto made him some food. Some time later, Shikuro came to check and, upon seeing Naruto, he happily smiled. "I should let the kid play with my son," Shikuro said. By this time, he didn''t have any kind of hatred for any jinchuriki. He was literally studying with a demon to begin with. "Let him come tomorrow, and these two can play," Aoto said. Shikuro nodded and left with a smile on his face. Naruto and Aoto talked a bit more, and Naruto asked about Corazon and wanted to know more about him. It was because of him that his life had suddenly changed, so he kind of idolized him. "You will get to see him tomorrow," Aoto said. This put a big smile on Naruto''s face. "Tomorrow you can go and bring your belongings here and move. Tonight is late. You can sleep here." This made Naruto happy.
Hiruzen was back in his office. After his wife''s death, he didn''t like to go home much, and the office gave him some sense of normalcy. He took out his pipe and started smoking it. Suddenly, the door burst open, and Danzo entered. He seemed like he was raging in anger. "You gave Naruto away to that troublesome man?" Danzo demanded answers. "Troublesome? Where has he caused any trouble?" Hiruzen replied, not caring about Danzo''s attitude. "Don''t you think what Aoto did was suspicious? He went after the jinchuriki, and he knows techniques we don''t know about." "So? Is that a problem?" Hiruzen asked. "Of course, there is a problem. What if he tries to control him like the Uchiha?" "The Uchihas didn''t control the Kyuubi. It''s time you drop the accusations. Sure a Uchiha attacked our village that night but that doesn''t mean everyone is responsible. We are already having an eye on them and there is nothing more we can do now about them. Even after years of searching for evidence, there has been none, so you better bury the hatchet for now. Aoto had promised me that he would teach Naruto techniques from his family later. That is enough for me to know since he and his friends have even faced a jinchuriki and defeated it," Hiruzen said. "So you just believe him because he said so?" "No, I believe him because Kakashi vouched for him, and now he has contributed too much to Konoha for us to doubt him," Hiruzen said, not bothered at all by the popping veins on Danzo''s forehead. Seeing Danzo''s expression, Hiruzen couldn''t help but feel like Danzo and Aoto had faced each other, and he got the wrong end of the stick. 140. The fear is real "You are stupid if you think this is safe." Danzo roared. "I don''t care. I am the Hokage and I make the decisions. Close the door before you move out." Hiruzen said implying that he didn''t want to talk anymore and he needed to get out. Danzo puffed for a minute before leaving the office while banging the door closed. Hiruzen just continued smoking and just closed his eyes. Danzo after walking out of the office was soon joined two more elderly. The advisors of Konoha. "Hiruzen isn''t thinking straight with the new genius we have at Konoha. A genius is only good if he is useful." The man said as he walked shoulder to shoulder with Danzo. "We need to get rid of him." The woman said. "This guy didn''t even attend the Ninja academy. We can take them down easily." "You think I haven''t tried. We can''t touch him. He is too powerful and maybe more powerful than me and Hiruzen." The two looked at Danzo with big eyes. They knew how powerful both of them were. Both had been personally trained under the 2nd Hokage and though Hiruzen was more powerful of the two, that didn''t mean Danzo was weak. At least not at this point. "You are joking. Aren''t you?" the man said while looking at Danzo as if he was joking. "They were able to make a jinchuriki and the tailed beast vanish forever." Danzo said. After the drama with Chomei, Danzo sent Roots to the Land of Waterfall and from what he was able to gather was that the land of Waterfall had lost their jinchuriki in that bout against Aoto and his friends. Of course, it was him who had hired those people but he didn''t actually wanted a jinchuriki to go after them. But the battlefield and his spying on their village made him realize how terrifying Aoto was. The two elderly duo was dumbstruck. They didn''t expect someone who had no ninja experience could be that powerful. They actually were in the mind of portraying Aoto as some kind of spy and denouncing him, but Danzo just shook his head as Hiruzen would never agree to this. If they wanted to do it, they would have to plant evidence or suffer the wrath of Hiruzen. They had been friends but it didn''t mean he would overlook facts just for the sake of friendship. In addition, Danzo could also tell that Aoto cared about Konoha. So he could only leave Aoto at the moment and make something up that would put Naruto under their control. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
The next day. One of the Anbu delivered letters and proof of adoption of Naruto. By that time everyone of them was here, and Shikuro even came with his son Torune. Torune got his hints and approached Naruto hoping to make friendship and Naruto was happy that at least someone of his age had approached him like a normal being and not bully him with words. After signing the papers, he said to the Anbu. "Let Hokage-sama know that I will pass on the ancestral home of Naruto once he is big enough." The Anbu nodded. He didn''t know what Aoto meant by it as very few people knew who Naruto''s father was but Aoto was sure that Hiruzen would understand what he meant. Meanwhile, Shikuro and Corazon took Naruto to his home for him to pack. Naruto instantly had a smile when he saw Corazon and thanked him for standing up. Corazon and Naruto bonded quite well as they brought his old things back and moved it to Aoto''s home. Everyone seemed to be happy. "System can you make a special contract for Naruto?" [ What kind of contract would you wish to establish? ] "A equal contract where he will be paid just like others when he works, no time constraints and paid by the hour, even after turning 18. But I want the contract to bind Kuraam too and make sure he never spills the beans. That guy has the greatest hatred for humans." Aoto said. "Oh! I didn''t ask, if we establish a contract than it will bind Kurama too right?" [ Yes, if the contract is signed by Naruto Uzumaki, his sealed beast will also be under contract now and forever until the host decides otherwise. ] "Good, make the contract." Aoto said and in the next moment, a paper came floating by to him. In each upgrade he was allowed to have one person as his employee, so this time he thought of Naruto. Of course, he wouldn''t allow for Naruto to work at this age and only after 18 if he thinks so, he could help him and he would be paid handsomely. He was using the contract mostly because he didn''t trust Kurama. The same way he didn''t trust Chomei. Though Chomei was allowed to study, it wasn''t allowed to go out of the house. But Naruto would interact and the contract was best way to bind their tongue and wouldn''t let them talk. After Naruto, Shikuro, Torune and Corazon came back with some huge boxes, they moved them to Aoto''s home and told all of them to sit and it was time for the ''talk''. "Dad, is it finally the time?" Torune seemed ecstatic when Aoto asked for them to sit. Torune already knew that his father practiced techniques taught to him by Aoto and one day he would also have to learn. Of course, like his father he was already taught the techniques of the Aburame clan, and especially the poisonous bugs were being fed already in order for them to grow with him and have a symbiotic relationship but according to his dad, these techniques were nothing in front of the ones Aoto had taught him. Torune had only seen once his father performing magic and as kids go, he was mesmerized and wanted to know more. He had seen his father take care of the entire household with small butterflies flying around and keeping the things in order using that. Since than Torune wanted to learn the ways but his dad told him to wait. And so he did. 141. New students to bully "Aren''t you introducing things to Naruto a little too fast? He is still a child, you know," Winry said as he peeled a small orange and ate. Winry and the others still looked at Torune and Naruto, which they were. "I am not a child. I have grown up," Naruto protested. Hearing this, everyone laughed. Now that he was getting comfortable and understood that these people didn''t hold any malice, he could express himself. "Winry, you are forgetting that the children here get to see blood much earlier," Aoto reminded her and the others. Naruto was confused, but Torune knew what they were talking about and had smiles all over his face when he saw that Aoto was backing them up. "They will be in school soon, so I think it''s time." "Fine," Winry just shrugged her shoulders and admitted. Aoto brought out a piece of paper and placed it near Naruto and said, "Naruto, this is an employment contract. In the future, if you feel like it, you can work at our store and be paid. In return, I and everyone here will teach you techniques that are unique and different from the ones that will be taught by the academy. It''s up to you if you want to sign or not," Aoto said. Naruto didn''t even think for a second and signed it with his clumsy handwriting. Just as he finished signing, Naruto felt some energy enter his body, and he wasn''t the only one who felt it; even Kyuubi, who had closed his eyes inside the seal felt it. He felt some kind of energy and checked himself if there was something wrong with him, but he didn''t seem to feel it. And thus without much thought, closed his eyes again. Aoto was surprised that Naruto had signed without even reading the contract. That could be understood because a contract was too much of a complicated thing for a small child like Naruto to understand and according to Naruto, Aoto had asked for his sign. That was enough. But Naruto was surprised a bit when he saw that the contract page caught fire after he signed it. "See, he is still a child," Winry teased. "I am not a child," Naruto shouted, and everyone laughed. "Hahahah..." "Right, it''s time to show you both something unique," Aoto said. Before Naruto and Torune could react, both of them were taken into the library. Naruto and Torune both jumped in fear, Naruto more so. He had never seen a place more filled with books in his life. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "What is this? So many books?" Naruto shouted as he had already started running around. "System, what is the talent level of Naruto and Torune?" [ The talent of Naruto Uzumaki is master level. The talent of Torune Aburame is high level. ] The mouth of Aoto twitched. No wonder Naruto was the protagonist. Master level talent. None of them had that high of a talent. But it showed that Naruto would probably be a great sorcerer which would help him in his journey. Seeing Naruto running around, Corazon and Shikuro went after him in order to explain what this place was and what were the things he could do and learn. Torune already had an idea of what he had to do, so he held the hand of Winry and asked for advice on where he could start. Of course, reading wasn''t the forte of these young children, so Shikuro and Corazon had decided to be the teachers of the two children. There was another person in the library too, and that was Chomei. But the tailed beast was no longer a huge monster, having transmuted himself into a human being. Chomei had used magic to transfigure himself and become a young man with black eyes and hair. He looked handsome and had quite the gleam in his eyes. Nobody would be able to tell that this person was actually a tailed beast and not someone sealed inside a person. When Naruto came across Chomei, he stopped and looked deeply at him. "Who are you?" "Me? I am Chomei. Who are you?" Chomei asked as he had never seen Naruto before. Kurama, who was sleeping inside, opened his eyes and looked through the eyes of Naruto. Kurama could feel something was off about this guy but didn''t know what. Chomei could also feel some kind of relationship with this guy but didn''t know what. The library would suppress the shinobi sensors, and thus both Kurama and Chomei weren''t able to exactly feel each other, but their small sensation was still there. "I am Naruto Uzumaki. And I am going to be..." Before Naruto could finish his sentence, Shikuro caught up to him. "Ah, I see you have met Chomei already." "Ah, Chomei, this will be the new kid around and will be learning from us. In fact, the son of Shikuro is here too. Let''s go and show you." Corazon came and dragged Chomei away. Chomei could tell something was off, but he didn''t mind. After getting away, Corazon sighed and spoke of the fact that Naruto was the jinchuriki of the 9 tails. Hearing this, Chomei stiffened and then started laughing. "Hahaha.. The 9 tails.. Inside this kid? Hahahaha.. Oh, I am going to have so much fun poking at the 9 tails now.. hahahah.." Chomei seemed to be particularly happy knowing Naruto was the jinchuriki of the 9 tails. Seeing his laugh, Corazon could only shudder and hope that Chomei wouldn''t just bully Naruto all the way. Of course, Naruto didn''t know that his future days in the library would be Chomei having banter with Naruto all the time. Shikuro now was explaining the library and what they would learn. Shikuro was the first person to start teaching them magic, and suffice to say, the more Shikuro spoke, the more excited Naruto and Torune were. While Shikuro was actively teaching the two kids, Aoto looked at them from afar and sighed. 142. The system being helpful The world was going to change, and hopefully for the better, because of his involvement. He hoped that Naruto would become a great sorcerer and be a more balanced man, instead of suffering childhood trauma throughout his life. Aoto didn''t pay much attention and started his own research. Reading and practicing Eldritch magic was a huge undertaking, and the books seemed endless. But his main quest was always celestial magic. That magic was godly from what he had read, and he was aiming for this. He could feel that his magical talent would bloom to a mid-level, and he couldn''t wait to be better than he was at the moment. He had tried his best, but he could feel that his hard work seemed to pale in comparison to talent. So he could only grit his teeth and study. The monthly arena fight was just around the corner, and he wanted to surprise everyone. The next day. Aoto noticed that there were few people at the bakery, and there was no morning rush. The word had already spread that Aoto had harbored the demon child, and they could be in danger because of that. Aoto didn''t expect the word to spread so fast, and though the village wasn''t as large at the moment and was in the mode of expansion, Aoto could tell that many people had come to know about this. Though Aoto didn''t personally care, he was still a bit irritated. "Shikuro," Aoto called. In the next moment, Shikuro appeared near Aoto, seeming to materialize out of thin air. "How is Naruto taking the lessons?" Aoto asked. "He isn''t good with books, but he is interested in magic, and that is a plus point. It is too early to say anything, so we will have to wait," Shikuro said. Aoto nodded and said. "Go around Konoha. Find out who is deliberately spreading rumors about Naruto and report to me," Aoto said. "Yes," Shikuro replied and then vanished on the spot. Aoto could tell that someone was deliberately spreading the rumor, but he also had a gut feeling that it wasn''t Danzo. Danzo, by now, had been taught lessons twice. Yes, Aoto knew who had hired the people from Waterfalls, as he had sent Shikuro and Corazon to infiltrate the roots and gather more information. Using the mirror dimension, they were able to keep an eye on Danzo and finally able to confirm that it was Danzo who had sent them. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. In fact, Shikuro was able to take a look at the documents too and gather hard evidence that Danzo had sent people after them. In addition, others wanted to go to the Hokage and complain, but Aoto refused. "His time will come, but not at the moment," Aoto had said. If he wanted to take care of Danzo, they needed to make it so that Danzo wouldn''t have anyone to support him. A single attack wouldn''t mean anything, and he could easily throw one of his boys under the bus and plead not guilty. It was better if they accumulated more evidence and thus had him exiled from the village itself. At the moment Aoto was more excited about the next upgrade than some people keeping away from their store. Over the last 2 years, he was able to sell almost everything and the only thing was sold very slowly were the adult items. People thought of it as a bit of a taboo and stood away from it. Adamantium was the first to be sold out, thanks to sale on two locations, computers had already been sold and there was no problem with the sales of that. Beauty cosmetics were the next to be sold fast over time and wine too. Though the wine was a bit too heavy for the people and his wine shop was now known all over the place including outside of Konoha. Since the wine was so good, businessmen came and made deals with him so that they could go around and sell wine in a much higher price. Aoto was happy to oblige and the only condition was that his brand name would continue. He wanted to make a name for himself around the world using business and only in this way he would have more reach, it was a political move for sure but this was all he could do. The rest of things came easy as they were sold slowly over the years. The solar panels took some time and it was the longest since people didn''t understand and at the moment he was only waiting for the last piece to be sold. Edward had worked a lot on the panels and said there had been an inquiry about the panel, once it was sold, Aoto had asked to inform. And at the moment he was waiting for its sale. While also waiting what Shikuro would come up with. Naruto was able to settle down easily. Since Corazon and Shikuro was teaching him, he had a good time but also he was able to move around a lot. The new home was much bigger than his old one, people were nice to him and felt like a family here. Though it was just the first day, he was already enjoying his life. At the evening, Edward came and reported that the last solar panel along with the battery had been sold. This made Aoto very happy as the condition to upgrade his shop was again given a green light. [ The host seems to have met the conditions for upgrade. Due to various reasons, the system has noticed that the host at the moment is at a pinch because he has harbored Naruto Uzumaki at his home, thus making the people of Konoha hate him a bit. But the system also understands that the host has good intentions in his heart. So the host will receive a lottery for getting a shopkeeper with two helpers with him. And the host will be allowed two people from different categories of summon. The host in this upgrade can also chose what items to sell and will be at the disposal of the host on his command ] 143. The best shopkeeper anyone can ask for Aoto''s eyebrows perked up when he read that the system allowed two additional summons this time. He had always felt that the system was very much alive and could think for itself, but the newest prompt made it 100% certain. Apart from mocking him, the system seemed to possess a good conscience; otherwise, it wouldn''t have helped him with the newest problem he was facing. He was glad anyway. Aoto didn''t go for the lottery immediately but waited for everyone. Torune and Naruto were too young to understand, so it was better to commence after these two fell asleep. It was nighttime when Torune was taken away by Shikuro, and Naruto was put to bed by Winry. Everyone was in the house at the moment, and in fact, Naruto swore he would stay awake, sensing there would be some kind of party. But being as young as he was, he fell asleep after Winry gave him a light head massage. During that time, Edward came forward and whispered to Aoto. "I want to propose to Winry." This made Aoto turn around slowly and gaze deep into Edward''s eyes, saying, "You better not bring any scientific jargon into the proposal, or else the others might seriously give you a hard time." Aoto said. The others here felt a little insecure because Edward was so adept with science, and thus, they often ''teased'' him. "Hmph! This is my proposal, and I''ll do it the way I like," Edward said. "Fine. Have you thought of a ring or something?" "I have, but I''ll make it in the next few days. I want to make one using Adamantium. Is that alright?" Edward asked. "Why are you asking me? All the Adamantium is at your disposal, and you can use it however you like," Aoto replied. "No. I''m using business materials for personal use, and I want to pay for it," Edward said, adamant about providing for the ring. Aoto understood his feelings and agreed. Edward then went on to talk about his plans and way of proposing. By the time the others had joined in and heard about his plan, they offered their own input. "What are you guys whispering about?" Winry came from behind and asked. This startled everyone, causing them to huddle together. "Uh... We were discussing who the new friends that would arrive might be," Shikuro fumbled out a quick lie. Everyone here held Winry in great respect and were somewhat intimidated by her. They also protected her. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "Oh. Then why don''t we just go and call them? Naruto has already fallen asleep." Everyone nodded and sighed in relief that she hadn''t overheard their conversation. Pinako was also present. "System, take us to the lottery space," Aoto said. In the next moment, everyone was back in the familiar white space, with the same lottery wheel in front of them. Aoto didn''t waste any more time contemplating and spun it. Within a minute, the pointer stopped at a question mark. The question mark disappeared and was replaced by a man''s face. Upon seeing the man, Aoto''s eyes widened, and he almost jumped with joy. This was the best shopkeeper he could have hoped for. The wheel also disappeared, and then a man suddenly appeared. The man was of average height and had a lean physique. He wore a traditional hat called a "kasa," which obscured half of his face. Beneath the hat, he wore a dark-green, short-sleeved kimono with a white diamond pattern, left slightly open to reveal a dark-colored undershirt. Around his waist, he had tied a red obi (belt), which held the kimono together and added a pop of color to his ensemble. Completing his outfit were a pair of traditional Japanese wooden sandals known as "geta." But the most distinct feature was the sword tied to his belt on his waist. There was only one man who could fit the criteria. "Ahh... I''ve been pulled into a different world. This is unfortunate," the man said in a rather peculiar tone, as if he were trying hard to convey that he was quite weak and needed assistance. Only those who knew him personally understood that all of this was a facade, and he was exceptionally powerful. "Welcome to our place, Kisuke Urahara," Aoto said as he bowed his head. "Oh, you must be my summoner," Kisuke replied, returning the bow. Urahara seemed to have already absorbed all the information that the system might have provided him, and Aoto wasn''t surprised by that. He was the genius of Soul Society. Very few things out there would faze him. The others were curious about this new friend. "He looks like me," Hot Pie whispered. "In what way does he look like you?" Arya asked, amused by Hot Pie''s confidence. "But he talks like me," Hot Pie argued. "No, he doesn''t," John commented. His chaos magic could already sense that something was off about this man, but he couldn''t quite put his finger on it. It felt like he was watching a very old monster, even though this man didn''t appear old in any way. "So, do I get to bring two of my friends?" Urahara had already grasped the situation, so he asked Aoto. Aoto nodded. Urahara closed his eyes for a moment, and in the next instant, a small black cat appeared alongside a tall, muscular man with his hair tied back. This was Tessai Tsukabishi, and the black cat was the beautiful Yoruichi Shih¨­in. The black cat didn''t transform at all and simply looked around with curiosity. Aoto was very pleased with the new set of shopkeepers he had just acquired. This was more than he could have asked for. "So, these are my colleagues," Urahara said as he approached them. Urahara gave off a friendly vibe, making him approachable to everyone. Each of them introduced themselves. "I am sorry, but what are you?" John while getting introduced had to ask. "Ahh.. An European. I hardly get to see them in Karakura Town. Hmm.. I do feel some weird power in your body. To answer your question, I am a shinigami (death reaper)." 144. Who the hell is this guy? Aoto bent his knees and gently petted Yoruichi. She didn''t flinch away and allowed Aoto to stroke her fur. Aoto was delighted that she was permitting him to touch her, even if it was partially accepted. He knew the system was assisting him, but he was still pleased. While Aoto was doing that, the others experienced the shock of their lives. They had heard of shinigami, the death gods, and the various beliefs surrounding them. Even in the magic worlds, there were so-called ''death gods,'' although it was more a title than anything else. But here was someone who claimed to be a death god? "But you''re a human," John couldn''t help but ask. In response, Urahara took out a small pill from his pocket and swallowed it. In the next minute, another person appeared from behind Urahara, looking exactly like him. The new Urahara appeared somewhat ethereal compared to the one they had been conversing with. Urahara went on to explain what was happening, particularly about the gigai, which was essentially a body replacement for this world, allowing everyone to see them. "System, can the ninjas see the shinigami?" Aoto asked. [ Anyone who possesses chakra can see a shinigami, so essentially, almost everyone can see a shinigami, and their identity would not be exposed if they appear openly. ] "Got it. So basically, I''ll have to treat them like another kind of ninja. That''s good enough," Aoto said. While Aoto was consulting the system, Urahara continued explaining about shinigami and their role as the bridge between the living and the dead. The more everyone heard, the more surprised they became. Meanwhile, Tessai and Yoruichi mingled with the others. Tessai explained about the Soul Society and its functions, while Yoruichi simply meowed and roamed around. While they were talking, Aoto approached the second wheel, ready to summon another being. Seeing Aoto about to bring in a new summon, the group put their curiosity on hold and eagerly waited. After a simple rotation, the pointer stopped, and a woman''s picture replaced it this time. A woman with long hair tied in front of her, looking calm and serene in the picture. Aoto, upon seeing her, didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Was the system trying to provide him with super bodyguards or something? If it was, then Aoto had hit the jackpot. Urahara and his friends had been confused earlier, but once Hot Pie explained the concept of the wheel lottery, they understood. The wheel soon disappeared, and the woman in the picture came to life. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. However, unlike the serene woman in the picture, the real woman didn''t have her hair tied down, and it flowed behind her. This gave her a different image altogether. She appeared ruthless and emanated a strong thirst for blood, so deep that even the others could feel it. "Ah, Captain... You are alive and well. I thought you had died," Urahara suddenly spoke in a very annoying tone, as if wishing death on the woman who had just appeared. The woman didn''t seem to be affected by Urahara''s words and still exuded a form of bloodlust. Out of instinct, Shikuro and John went into defensive mode. Shikuro had many glowing magical insects flying around him, while John had some shields floating in the air around him. They really thought that she was going to attack. The woman looked at these magical items that had appeared out of nowhere and was surprised for a bit. Then slowly, her bloodlust receded. Her hate-filled eyes returned to normal, and she looked like the serene woman they had seen in the picture before. Everyone was surprised and confused by how easily this woman was able to change the whole atmosphere around her and return to normal. "Sorry about my reaction. I didn''t understand my situation before and thought I had died. My name is Retsu Unohana, and just like the person here, I was also a Captain," the woman said. Aoto had already recognized her when he saw her picture. Four Shinigami in a row. And all of them were of Captain class. He could understand why Unohana was brought to this world to be his aide. It was because of her healing abilities, and she could easily open a clinic and heal people. Of course, she would have to do it in her Shinigami form and not Gigai form, but that could be overlooked, as people wouldn''t be able to differentiate anyway. Alternatively, she could attend the school and help teach medicine to the students. That could also be done. This time, the system didn''t give any idea when the next upgrade would be or what the conditions were. Thus, he didn''t need to worry about the upgrade for the time being and could just focus on living life and getting stronger. But she also had another reputation. The reputation of being one of the strongest and most ruthless Captains of the Soul Society. Her bloodlust there wasn''t some kind of smokescreen; it was real. While Aoto was thinking all that, Urahara came forward and cleared the air about her. He also explained that she was dead in their world and somehow the power of their summoner was able to bring her back to life. Urahara now gave a normal rundown of how things were in the Soul Society and their lives. Since Unohana died long before the final end, she asked what had happened and got to know that the Soul Society came out victorious. Aoto just introduced himself and proceeded to the final wheel of summoning. Unohana had her hair tied down like she always did and was back in her old ways, while Urahara mingled among everyone. Though Shikuro and John were still a bit wary of Unohana. Everyone went silent as Aoto rotated the last wheel, and after a bit of spin and stopping on a question mark, a picture of a man appeared. Aoto was taken aback even more when he saw the picture. It was because he didn''t recognize the man in the picture at all. 145. That was unexpected This person had a full head of dark, wavy hair that was typically kept at a moderate length. His facial features were characterized by expressive brown eyes, a prominent nose, and a strong jawline. The wheel disappeared, and out came a man of fairly average build and average height. "Who is this guy?" John asked, noticing that this person seemed to be of the same descent as himself, as he was quite ''white''. "How do I know?" Aoto shrugged back. "It was you who summoned him and you don''t know?" Arya asked. Aoto just shook his head and accepted that he really didn''t know. "Umm... Excuse me... Where is this? Have I been kidnapped? My family doesn''t have any money, so I don''t know what you will get after kidnapping me," the man said. "You are not kidnapped. Have you not received the memories after getting here?" Aoto asked, slowly realizing that this guy wasn''t some kind of hotshot but a normal guy. The man, upon hearing Aoto''s words, stiffened and just gave them a blank face for a minute. After the awkward silence, tears slowly started dripping from his eyes. This made Aoto a bit panicked, as he didn''t expect his summoning to result in tears. He stepped forward and said, "I am sorry. I might have disrupted your previous life." The man now started crying his eyes out. This made the people around him uncomfortable for a bit, and everyone came forward to reassure him that he was fine and everything would be alright. It took quite a bit of time for him to calm down and compose himself enough to speak again. "I know that your previous life has ended, but now you have a new life and probably a new career," Aoto said. The man just nodded his head, realizing he would have to accept the arrangements. He understood that it was probably some kind of God that had pulled him from his previous world and pushed him here, so he could only accept it now. He had never believed in God before, but now he was thinking of going to church more often. "I am sorry for all the drama. My name is Hans Florian Zimmer. I am a score composer and an aspiring music producer," the man said. Aoto stiffened instantly. No wonder he didn''t recognize him. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. It was because he had never seen him before in his real life, not even in pictures, but this guy was famous in his previous world, or at least in the music industry. This man had produced some of the best background music for famous movies and even won Oscars for it. His famous works included The Lion King, The Dark Knight trilogy, Interstellar, Man of Steel, and many other movies. But he looked quite young here. "Excuse me? What is your best music score up till now?" "Best music score? Right now, I am composing background music for an animated movie named The Lion King, and I am quite excited about it. I think it will be the best, but it''s all gone now," Hans said. This made everyone sad, but Aoto was surprised. The system could even control time?! Damn! Aoto didn''t mention that he was from this man''s world, but he was excited now that he got this clue. It meant there was still a connection with the world he came from. "System, do you still have a connection with my previous world?" [ Yes host. ] "Then can I ever return to the previous world?" Aoto asked. [ That will depend on how the host performs, in fact if he could be a god level talent and be a god with magic, the host can travel himself ] "Yes, you are right." Aoto thought. The magic was based on multiverse so of course he might be able to travel to his world one day. This made him fill with hope and maybe one day he would see his world. He wouldn''t interfere of course, but he would love to take glimpse of the world. Hans was sent here to make the music industry bloom, which was almost non existent here. With him here there was hope for this world. At least he would be able to listen to music. Hans meanwhile spoke of his music and he was devastated when he got to know that this new place didn''t have a proper music concerts or even good songs and music to boot. He was almost in the verge of tears again, until Aoto said. "Since there is no good music or songs here, why don''t you start the process and I am sure there would be people in this world who would love you and take you as an inspiration." Aoto said. This made Hans'' glimmer with hope and ideas. Aoto was right, if there was no good music than he could just introduce one. He was imagining all of this while Aoto was thinking that he would blast off a good background music if he was ever involved in a fight. Fighting while listening to a good background song or music. Now that would be royalty. He would definitely try in the arena matches from here on. "Now that many of you are here, I will send you out of this place and can enter through the village officially. There shouldn''t be any problems while finding your way to our home. This world is dangerous and thus keep an eye. Only retaliate when absolutely necessary." Aoto said. Everyone nodded their heads. While Yoriichi just meowed. "Yoriichi-san can stay with us and doesn''t need to go out." Aoto said seeing the black cat who was licking her paws. "Yes yes.. We will be here soon." Urahara said and stood next to Hans. Hans was a normal guy but with the help of the system he would be able to see the shinigami as the system has notified at the end. It was already late at night when he had summoned them so it would be early morning when they would arrive at Konoha. Today''s night sleep was out of the window again. 146. One big happy family Naruto woke up with a heavy sensation on his chest. At first, he thought it was the long pillow he had brought with him to help him sleep. In his slumber, that was the first logical explanation, but soon it became too much, and he woke up with a start. A pair of cat eyes were now fixed on him, blinking once in a while. Naruto saw a pitch-black cat looking at him. Naruto almost flipped out in fear, but then he realized it was just a cute cat. Naruto slowly picked the cat up in his arms and set her down gently at his side. Doing this helped him return to normal breathing. He had never seen such the cat before, so he was a bit puzzled. But the cute cat made him forget everything and he reached out to pet it. The black cat didn''t seem to mind Naruto touching her and let him do as he pleased. Meanwhile, as he petted her, he felt a slight pain in his stomach for a few seconds before it vanished. The pain was only momentary, and Naruto didn''t pay it much attention, but the cat''s eyes turned toward Naruto''s stomach before she enjoyed the whole petting. "Such a good kitty..." Naruto was very happy to pet such a good and calm cat. "Ah, I see you''ve met Yoriichi-san," Aoto appeared at the doorway and said. "Ah, Aoto-san. Good morning," Naruto said. "Good morning. This is Yoriichi-san, and she will stay with us," Aoto said. "Huh? San?" Naruto was confused, as he had never heard of anyone showing such respect and honor to a cat with "-san" before. This was the first time. "Yes, is there a problem?" Aoto asked. "No... No... Yoriichi-san... I am Naruto Uzumaki. I hope we can be good roommates," Naruto said. He could tell that Aoto was serious, so he used his best possible way to show his willingness to please them. "Naruto, it''s your home. You don''t need to be so formal with me or anything. We are family now, and we won''t leave you or anything. Just don''t betray our trust and be truthful. Is that fine?" Aoto asked. Naruto was a bit moved by the words and nodded his head. "I promise I will be a good boy." Naruto was happy that Aoto was being considerate. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "You will make a fine shinobi and sorcerer. There will be new people coming soon who might stay with us for a few days," Aoto said. "Oh! Then I should get ready and host them," Naruto said as he quickly got up and ran to the bathroom to get himself ready. "What''s the deal with this kid?" the black cat spoke for the first time. "Ah. You finally spoke... Well, he has a beast sealed inside of him. Imagine a Hyogoku being alive and sealed inside of him. Though it might not be as ridiculous as the Hyogoku, that beast is very powerful," Aoto said. "Why is a beast sealed inside a kid?" Yoriichi was confused of what kind of thought process one had to do such a ridiculous thing. "There wasn''t any other option at the moment, his parents were in their last breaths and before death they needed to transfer away. His mother was the last person who had the beast sealed inside her and now her son is carrying the mantle." Aoto said. Yoriichi didn''t speak more and just continued looking at the doorway where Naruto had gone. Meanwhile, Corazon and Shikuro went together to welcome the new people coming on their way. 4 new guys would be coming so both of them were excited. After waiting at the main gate, the four finally showed up in the horizon. Aoto had asked Unohana to wear a normal dress instead of her haori so that she didn''t raise any eyebrows here. Urahara was in his usual happy-go-lucky attire and soon showed up in the gate. Only Zimmer was a bit shaken up and was looking around like some of kind of scaredy cat. "Welcome to Konoha." Shikuro said after being checked by the gate guards. "I hope Konoha will be quite hospitable for all of you." Shikuro said. They made small talks while they had their curiosity and questions both answered. Zimmer was a bit downtrodden as he understood that this place wasn''t modern at all and he would need to start from the scratch. Though it terrified him but also made him excited. Meanwhile Aoto was making food for the new guests that was about to arrive and they arrived quite fast. Naruto was a bit excited as he was going to see new people. Aoto seeing the enthusiasm laughed on the inside. "It was good to be young. Now the current me, don''t like to meet anyone. So anti-social." After arriving, everyone introduced with each other. Like Yoriichi, Unohana, Tessai and Urahara both did a double take when they took a close look at Naruto and just like last time, Naruto felt his abdomen churn a bit for no apparent reason. Just like last time, he didn''t pay any attention and continued to speak like the talkative guy in the group. Torune had joined by then so he too was a happy to see many people around and giving them attention. He too loved the cat. After having a normal conversation for an hour or so and laying out most of the things of the world around, it was time to go to the library. And just like others, the new people were petrified seeing the huge library. They got to know of the thing called chakra and the new form of power called magic. The more they listened about magic the more they were surprised and also horrified, of course the horrifying things were only spoken to the adults and not the children who were now busy again with Corazon and was teaching them diligently. As usual they came across Chomei who got to meet new people. Unlike Naruto, none of the shinigami felt the power of tailed beast from her and thus everyone got together well. 147. New entertainment industry After discussing everything, Aoto asked Unohana if she could go and learn how to operate on normal people. "I haven''t tried it yet, but I want to give it a try," Unohana replied. Aoto was pleased that she was willing to take on the responsibility of being a good medical doctor in the normal world if her techniques proved effective. "Shikuro, take her to the school and let her go through the books for once," Aoto instructed. Shikuro nodded and led Unohana away. Urahara quickly became engrossed in the new library but also mentioned that he had obligations to work later, to which he agreed but seemed a bit irritated, eliciting laughter from everyone. "System, give me food recipes from around the world of my previous world." [ Here you go, host. ] In the next moment, there was a huge pile of books stacked in front of him. The first thing he needed to do was turn Konoha into a culinary hub. Food was one of the most basic necessities of life, and if it could be diversified, it would be a huge boost to Konoha''s economy. Japanese food was great, but being an American, he still had a fondness for American food, French cuisine, and various other types of Asian dishes he missed. Offering a variety of cuisines would undoubtedly enhance his culinary experience and perhaps even spread across the world, making it a better place. Once this was accomplished, the next task was to improve the roads. The Fire Nation lacked proper roads, and this was true for the entire world. While roads existed, they were poorly maintained, and transportation was considered of minimal importance. Aoto even suspected that this was a ploy by the shinobi to make regular people foot the bill for transport. However, before building roads, he needed to consult with the Hokage. He aimed to begin by improving the roads within Konoha itself and then extend the effort to the entire nation, provided he received the green light. And alongside the roads came mobile communication. Aoto understood that long-distance communication was still years away, but he could start with short-distance radio within Konoha, allowing people to call each other, and perhaps even introduce cable lines to homes. He wasn''t well-versed in the entire technology and intricacies behind this form of communication at a deep level, so he could always refer to books. With these thoughts in mind, he discussed the matter with Urahara, who immediately agreed. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "We''ll have to establish a company for that," Urahara suggested as his first idea, to which Aoto readily concurred. He then allocated some funds to acquire books on communication. The communication in this world would be based on more conventional methods rather than the unconventional ways of the Soul Society. Both Aoto and Urahara went through the books once and got the general gist. For mobile communication they needed towers around Konoha and for cable communication they need an office. Internet cable lines had already been set up so it would be much easier to expand on that. Edward also joined this discussion as anything innovative piqued his interest. For the moment, these were the two main things that Aoto needed to work on. These would yield quite good results for him and give me a status that would be beyond what they were facing at the moment. "Zimmer, here there are no movies or any kinds of series being made. I want you to handle the starting part. Can you do this?" "Huh? You mean there are no motion pictures as well?" "Well, there are cameras here and there but never used for entertainment in a very broad way. You can kick start it, and once you do, you can then fall back to music." Zimmer got into deep thought. He didn''t have much idea of producing a series, much less kick-starting such a huge thing in this world, but then again, this place was new and he could gain experience in this way too while eventually falling back to music again. "But I would need money to start the whole process," Zimmer said. "Don''t think too much about the money part. I will sponsor the whole thing and you can have 30% of the profits while I will get to keep 70%," Aoto said. Zimmer nodded, as 30% would be more than fine with him since he wasn''t paying for a single bit. Aoto also spoke of how they would need to set up a hall where they could show the movie. They would have to start from there. Aoto and Zimmer spoke a lot about this and he made a list of what he would have to do to start the process. It was a long talk and thus took a lot of time. Zimmer somehow wasn''t interested in magic and felt like power wasn''t something he craved for, which was a bit weird, but he could also understand that maybe it was because of this he was such a great music composer, because he never cared about power. While this was happening, Unoahana showed up at the school with Shikuro as she was introduced to the principal of the school. "She is a doctor?" The principal asked. Her low and mellow voice made the principal have butterflies in his stomach, but he reined in his thoughts. Unohana went through the books and replied. "Can I go and see the basic medical facilities provided to the ninjas?" Shikuro hesitated a bit and then agreed to take her to the hospital. He hesitated because the medical wing of Konoha was a huge secret when it came to this world. No other medical facility of any village could even come close to their level. Thanks to Tsunade, who had helped their village a lot. Though she was absent now, it didn''t mean her shared knowledge had vanished and thus bringing a person who was an outsider could receive some flak, but she could definitely watch the basic facility and see if her abilities work on injured people. 148. How about road tax After getting to the hospital, Shikuro took her to the supervisor. The supervisor after hearing that the person was someone Aoto had sent agreed to let her see the basic medical facility. Unohana was soon led to the main facility and was allowed to show how the ninjas healed the patients. Most of the patients were ninjas who came back from missions and some normal people among them. "Unohana-san.. What do you think?" "Can I try my technique and see if they work?" Unohana asked while asking permission from the supervisor. The supervisor hesitated for a bit and then nodded. Unohana getting the green signal approached a patient who had a cut on her arm. She was chunin of Konoha. She placed her hand over the huge wound and uttered a small chant which was not listened by anyone. Within seconds the hand of Unohana lit up like some led bulb and the wound of the woman was getting healed in a visible speed. The supervisor who had been keeping an eye was now surprised of how fast the woman was healing the wound. One look and he could already tell that speed at which she was healing could be considered as the fastest. In the war he had seen such speed only from one person and that was Princess Tsunade. "This is so cool. Thank you." The woman got up and thanked the new ''doctor''. She had been suffering from the pain. "You are welcome. The wound has some poison in it, you should take care more while fighting your opponents." Unohana replied. "Poison? No wonder I was feeling dizzy on my way as wounds such as this shouldn''t have been as impactful as it should be. These sand shinobis still use poison like always." The woman replied. "Thank you doctor for the advice. I will write it down in the report." Unohana just smiled in return as she didn''t care what her mission was. "Doctor Unohana.. I want to appoint you as one of the doctors here. You will be the provisional junior doctor for the first six months and then you will be promoted if you do the work well." The supervisor said. "Thank you. I will do my best at work." Unohana replied. This world didn''t have any kind of standard for becoming a doctor or a medical ninja. So her acceptance didn''t require any certificate of some kind though with the new school it might be the standard soon. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The only thing that was required was a proper background check since she never studied in Konoha and thus the provisional time for her was just Konoha and roots doing a background check on her. Shikuro was happy seeing their new colleague being accepted. Unohana decided to start her work at that moment itself and Shikuro let her be at work. According to Aoto, she was very powerful so he didn''t have to bother of her safety, and also because he had felt the bloodlust from her. Such kind of blood lust meant she could definitely handle herself. Corazon and Urahara went to meet the Hokage of making the roads of Konoha. Urahara was new but that didn''t mean that he was stupid. Corazon gave him a run down of the administration of the village and he was quickly up to speed. Meeting Hokage was easy for them as Aoto was behind them. Within minutes, they found themselves at the office of Hokage. He was alone going through some documents while typing on the computer. The amount of paperworks had gone down a lot so he was having a good time. "Hokage-sama, Good morning." "Good morning, Corazon. Every time I look at you I feel like the world had given all the height to you." Hiruzen said with a chuckle. This made Corazon blush but he was right. Corazon was really very tall and had to bend his head on many of the doorways to get inside. Aoto had to refit his doors for this person at his home so that he wouldn''t bump his head. "This is?" "This is my friend Kisuke Urahara. Aoto had hired him to be the manager of all the shops. He is here with a business plan which needs your approval and help." Corazon said. "My approval?" Hiruzen was confused but was curious about what kind of proposal Aoto had come up with. "Hello.. I am Kisuke Urahara. I am new to Konoha and the manager of Aoto''s shops. I would like to open a company and then make better roads which will.." Kisuke went to speak for almost an hour laying down his plans of making better roads which will help in better commute among the citizens and in turn save the loss of the people which the citizens faced. This was a long term plan and Kisuke, in order to convince the Hokage, spoke of the future plans of how they would like to introduce vehicles that could operate without any muscle power. This surprised Hiruzen but he chose to ignore the future part at the moment and just concentrate on the road part. Having roads not made out of mud or cobblestones was a new kind of technology so he was quite curious. "This is a lot of capital." Hiruzen said as Kisuke had provided the total amount of money they would need to make the roads better. "Yes and for that we will introduce road tax. Those who use vehicles will have to pay taxes for the time they would drive yearly. The capital gain would be very slow but it would be recuperated in a few years and the administration will be well fed in the years to come." Kisuke said. "Are you sure people will buy these vehicles in the future?" Hiruzen asked. "Aoto and I have already discussed a lot about this and we already have models ready. Konoha is expanding very fast at the moment and soon we will need vehicles that could go for longer distance. Roads will be quite good for the village." Kisuke assured Hiruzen. 149. He can kill me "I will talk with Aoto about it and then I will make my decision," Hiruzen said. "Of course... We will be waiting for the happy news," Kisuke said. He had a smile on his face, and Corazon, who had been silent the entire time, smiled as they bid goodbye to him. After they left, there was complete silence in the office. Hiruzen spoke a bit aloud in the open air. "What is the deal with this man named Kisuke Urahara?" Hiruzen asked. "Do you want me to bring the documents pertaining to the person, Hokage-sama?" An Anbu appeared out of the blue and asked. "Yes," Hiruzen replied. After about 15 minutes, a small file was placed on the table. Hiruzen opened the file and went through it. There was nothing wrong with the file, and Hiruzen learned that Kisuke was a genius in a small village in the Fire Nation itself. He excelled in two ways: innovation and swordsmanship. He and another person named Tessai had been friends since they were young and were brought up together. Normally, Kisuke shouldn''t have come to Konoha, but bandits appeared out of nowhere, who were supposed to be ninjas, and they destroyed the whole village. Tessai and Kisuke were able to defend themselves before managing to escape. Kisuke''s swordsmanship played a huge part in this, and thus they were safe in the end. Hiruzen read the whole report and just looked at the ceiling in a blank stare. "Is there any problem, Hokage-sama?" Hiruzen sighed for a second before replying, "I feel like this person Kisuke is more powerful than he is letting on." "Uh... He was able to defend against many ninjas, so his swordsmanship must be superb," the Anbu member said. "No. You don''t understand. I feel like he could take me on if given the chance," Hiruzen replied. This almost made the Anbu member laugh out loud. A random person taking on the Hokage? What a joke! But of course, he didn''t say it out loud, as it would be disrespectful to someone like him. However, he felt like Hiruzen was overestimating a random person he had just met. "Anyways, I will visit Aoto and see what his deal is," Hiruzen said.
Naruto and the others were once again busy at the library while the others taught him. Shikuro returned early after dropping off Unohana and thus was teaching his son and Naruto diligently. As expected, Naruto was struggling, and it was taking time for him to understand what was going on. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "System, are you sure he has high talent?" [ The system is never wrong. ] "Aoto sighed and didn''t say anything more, just letting nature take its course. Kisuke returned soon. ''Corazon, you will have to help Zimmer to start a production company,'' Aoto said as Corazon returned. ''I will. Zimmer, are you ready to go?'' Corazon asked. Zimmer sighed a bit and then nodded. After both of them left, Kisuke and Aoto returned to the library. ''How was the Hokage?'' Aoto asked. ''He is good, and I am pretty sure he doubts me,'' Kisuke said. ''Doubts you? Why is that?'' Aoto was confused. ''I mean he doubts that I am more powerful than my files say,'' Kisuke explained. ''How do you figure that?'' Aoto asked, unsure of how the Hokage could even think like that. ''It''s just intuition. Maybe that''s why he didn''t sign and accept the new proposal, and he wants to talk with you,'' Kisuke said. ''Well, I will come up with my best poker face for this.'' ''I hope it will be a good and convincing poker face.'' They both laughed and then got back to work. Kisuke took care of the logistics while Aoto tended to his shop, acting like a normal shopkeeper. He also sent files over to Kisuke so he could go through the books and start operating as a manager. Aoto knew that regaining the same number of customers after taking in Naruto would take time, but he was willing to wait and watch. One day, Naruto would be a hero to the village, so his investment now would pay off in the future. Every hero needed a villain, and as far as villains go, Pain was the only one Aoto had to worry about from before. He couldn''t allow someone to devastate the whole village, especially after making the roads. As he pondered this, he thought about the computer deal with Konan, who had repeatedly suggested that he meet her boss. Aoto had never agreed because he knew he wasn''t a match for Pain. He might have been lucky with Chomei because that beast didn''t think straight when it attacked, but Pain was different. He wouldn''t last a second in front of his attack, or any other Akatsuki member for that matter. The only safe place was his shop. Konan''s words spurred him into action, and he burned the midnight oil learning magic. The Uchiha family had already started to become restless, and in the few meetings he had with Fugaku, he didn''t seem to be in a good mood. The last time Aoto saw him in a good mood was during the birth of Lyanna. She was a cute and healthy child. Aoto and his friends had gone to congratulate him and his family. Sasuke had grown up to be a sensible and happy child under the tutelage of his brother and his family. But time was ticking, and even though now the Uchiha family was reaping huge returns thanks to Aoto''s investment, some people in the clan were still causing significant problems for Fugaku.
Evening. Aoto was just working on the computer, getting things in order when Hiruzen walked in. ''Hokage-sama... Welcome.'' ''Aoto... Do you have the joints for the month?'' Hiruzen asked. ''Of course. They''re here,'' Aoto said as he brought a large box and placed it on the table. Hiruzen would consume them occasionally, so the box would probably last for quite a number of days. Hiruzen took the box and placed it inside his magical pouch. 150. Two old dudes living their lives Hiruzen had a bright smile on his face when he saw that the supplies. It will go well for him for sometime until he runs out. He didn''t immediately smoke the weed and just kept it aside. "Corazon came today with the road thing? Are you onboard?" Hiruzen asked. "Hokage-sama, it was me who asked Corazon and Urahara to go and ask permission from you." Aoto said. "Hmm.. Do you believe it will help Konoha?" Hiruzen asked. "Not only it will help Konoha, it will help the Fire Nation if we construct roads around but that will take years so we can try this in Konoha and learn of what not to do." Aoto said. Hiruzen nodded. After a slight pause he asked. "Aoto, tell me what is the deal with your new friends." Hiruzen asked. "Deal? They are my friends." Aoto said with a straight face that seemed like a boy who was speaking the truth. "I know they are your friends. But do you trust them?" "Hokage-sama, I trust them just just I trust my own family and friends Why is there any problem?" Aoto acted like the innocent guy and asked. "Are you sure about that?" Hiruzen asked to which Aoto nodded his head. "Aoto, it''s not that I don''t trust you. You have helped Konoha a lot, but suddenly you have new friends who don''t belong to the village from childhood and the Will of Fire haven''t been passed on to them. I just hope they don''t influence Naruto the wrong way." Hiruzen said. "Naruto will always belong to Konoha. Now and forever. We are not really interested with what Naruto can provide for the village and just want to live together happily. I have been here all my life. And I have no reason to do something which will ill to Konoha and my business." Aoto said. Hiruzen looked deeply into the eyes of Naruto and nodded. "Kisuke Urahara. He is quite the guy." Hiruzen said. This was Hiruzen baiting Aoto to see if Aoto could reveal anything. In fact Hiruzen has also looked into Unohana as he asked to gather information and seeing how well she healed people and helped the injured ones, he was relieved. But just like Kisuke, Hiruzen felt the same kind of danger from Retsu if not more and thus wanted to make sure if they were good people. As they were talking a black cat creeped upon them and sat on the lap of Aoto. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "Yoriichi-san... Yoriichi-san where are you?" A shout came from inside and Naruto emerged from the depths of the home. "Ah here you are.. I brought some food for you.." Naruto said but after seeing Hiruzen he stopped and bowed. "Good evening Hokage-sama." "Good evening Naruto. Is everything good around?" Hokage asked. Naruto to his reply gave a wide grin while still holding the food in his hand. "Naruto if you want to feed Yoriichi-san, you need to give the same food as you give us." Aoto said. "Huh! But she is a cat." Naruto said. "I know but she can everything that we eat." Aoto replied. Naruto was surprised and just hung his head and went inside. "That''s a nice cat." Hiruzen said, glad that Naruto was doing much better and happy. He couldn''t take care well of Naruto and now he had that burden off his shoulder. Though Hiruzen was still wary of Urahara, he knew that Aoto wouldn''t just trust anyone. Over the years he had hardly associated with anyone and try to gain any kind of power. Surely they had a business relations with the Uchiha, but from his spying he got to know that Aoto only held business deal with them and nothing more. In fact he had the same kind of deal about computers with the three Ino-Shika-Cho clan. The three clans were responsible for the production and manufacture of computers. So Aoto''s deals with the Uchiha wasn''t something unique. Hiruzen talked a bit more with Aoto and then leaving. "He is quite observant." Urahara emerged from the shadows and commented. Yoriichi was still on the lap of Aoto as he petted her. "He is one the oldest surviving leader of a village so of course he is knowledgeable and experienced." Aoto replied not bothered at all that Hiruzen was able to sense the danger of Urahara. Very few people could even sense it and he was sure that it was almost like the 6th sense of Hiruzen which said that something was up with Urahara. "One of the? There are more museum pieces like him?" Kisuke asked while putting his fan to cover his mouth. "Kisuke where did all the guts go when you were near Yamamoto-san?" Aoto asked. This made Yoriichi smirk in human tone. "Hahaha.. Well Yamamoto-sama was a good man." Urahara replied. "There is another guy. The Tsuchikage. He is almost as old as Hokage if not more and he is one of the most cunning ones." Aoto replied. "Oh you seem to know him." Kisuke said as he could easily figure out the intricacies of words of Aoto. "Personally no. But I do know a lot about his past." Aoto said. "Do they have some kind of anger against Konoha?" Urahara asked. "We had three great wars involving each of the 5 major villages so what do you think? Why are you asking?" Aoto asked. "We don''t have any kind of relations with the 5 major villages, why don''t we start with them if we don''t have some kind of major history between us." Urahara said. "Well the last war we did fight against them and Naruto''s father used to wipe away Iwagakure forces alone." Aoto said while keeping an eye that Naruto was not nearby to listen. "Naruto''s father? You mean the fourth Hokage?" Urahara asked. Aoto nodded. "Hmm.. Well we need to start somewhere if we want to progress as a business empire." Urahara asked. "What about the Kirigakure?" "That village is hopeless. Sunagakure has too much bad blood between us and Kumogakure is just a mad bull." Aoto said. 151. Two stark opposites "So Iwagakure it is." Urahara said. "But that will take time. The war had just recently ended and Konoha still is a bit weak after what had happened with the Kyuubi incident." Aoto said. "I am ready to wait." Urahara said. "You seem to be more interested in expanding than I am." Aoto laughed as he said that. "Well. Now that I am here, I can do my research without a chip on shoulder and I am excited to know more about this world and expanding business is the best way." Kisuke said. Aoto nodded. They talked about more in the future while Naruto came forward with food for Yoriichi which she liked. In the next coming months, the things around Konoha changed fast. The construction of roads was finally given green light by the Konoha administrations after Urahara set up company for making infrastructure of Konoha. Aoto had already spoken of the way the modern roads were built which Aoto bought from the system. At this point, Aoto could buy anything from the system and then resell it. The profit he earned was his so exchanging knowledge was always cheap as Aoto could get returns which was more than 1000 times the actual price. The same thing happened with computers too as Aoto spoke of introducing new kind of technology in them and make them faster, better and more efficient. And also after Zimmer established the entertainment company he started looking for people to make movies. This was a huge project and thus would needed plenty of time. But as the things were set in motion, another major thing happened. The Academy was finally opened for the classes to start and thus on the first day Aoto grabbed the hand of Naruto and personally took him to the school. By this time Naruto did have some vague contacts with his other class members like Shikamaru, Choji and others but it was bare minimum. But Naruto was very happy when he was taken to school. On the way, Aoto even bought him an ice cream. The weather was hot and thus Naruto loved it. It was there that Aoto got to his future classmates and some of the people who impacted the life of Naruto. There was Neji, Hinata, Sasuke who came with his brother and had a bright smile on his face, Ino-Shika-Cho trio followed by their parents and so on. Aoto even saw Sakura among them and he could already see her trying to steal glances from Sasuke already. These young kids! Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Aoto wondered if he would ever get a girlfriend. Maybe he would ask Unohana out for a date but she was 1000 time his mom''s age and that included both of the mom''s of his both lives. And her sword really wasn''t doing any favors if he asjed her out. Yoriichi was kind of with Kisuke so that was off the table. There were good shinobis among Konoha but he would always feel like the other was a spy of Danzo, so that was off the table and he wasn''t some handsome hunk that he could win anyone he liked. Sigh! What a boring life. Aoto was happy seeing everyone and talked with some of the families like Itachi, the parents of Ino-Shika-Cho and even the Hyuga twins. Hinata was all cute and bubbly as usual. Aoto had kept an eye on Naruto and knew that the famous scene of him saving Hinata hadn''t happened yet and she wasn''t bullied as of yet. Maybe this winter it was to happen. Would have to provide this kid with a red warm scarf so that his future wife could keep it. ''Damn! Now I am playing the matchmaker of my little brother? I am really single.'' Among them there was also another guy that was not supposed to join with them and that was Torune. In the actual story Torune never joined the academy but here it was different. Shikuro came to leave his son for the academy. After having a good time Aoto was back at his place. In this way Naruto started between juggling in schools and the home library. But over the few months Aoto could see that Naruto was getting frustrated a bit. It was only in the library that he would bloom. So one day, Aoto took Naruto to Ramen shop on the opposite and sat down. "Two of your best ramen." Aoto said. Naruto had his eyes lit up when he heard that. Ramen and KFC burger was his favorite food and he loved eating them but of course Aoto was being a strict parent and thus would only tell him to have those kinds of food on special occasions. "Ah Aoto.. You are here. It''s been sometime." Teuchi said. "Hahaha. Don''t say it like that.. I hardly get time and if I go to your shop to eat ramen everyday, Naruto will follow me and not eat other food at all." Aoto said. "Hey, Aoto-san, you like the ramen as much as I do?" Naruto asked as he had never seen Aoto speak about Ramen with such excitement. "Of course I love Ichiraku Ramen. But if I eat it everyday you will follow me and won''t eat anything else. Kids of your age need to eat healthy and other food too." Aoto said. "But I eat other kinds of food." Naruto complained but Aoto just rolled his eyes. Soon two huge bowls were served, Teuchi had hired some other people to help him since Ayame now was the manager of KFC. He didn''t want her back and was proud that she was holding such a big place now. KFC had opened in two other places now so it was a huge turnover for Aoto too. Naruto and Aoto was happily gobbling down food when Aoto asked. "Naruto why are you so frustrated with the school?" Aoto asked up straight. Naruto who was happily chewing the meat piece flinched for a bit. 152. Why do we care? "I... I don''t know. I''m not as skilled as the others, and I don''t know what I''m doing wrong," Naruto confessed, punctuating his sentences with ''dattebayo''. Aoto had been trying to break him of that habit, but it seemed some things were hard to change. "So, are you feeling frustrated because you''re struggling in practical or theoretical aspects?" Aoto inquired calmly. "I''ve been taught the most basic ninjutsu, but I can''t seem to do anything. I''m the last one to catch on, and I still can''t get it," Naruto lamented. "But I heard from Shikuro that you and Torune are picking up the other techniques quite well," Aoto pointed out. This lit up Naruto''s eyes, and he eagerly shared that he was on the verge of summoning Tao mandalas. Aoto knew why Naruto was struggling with ninjutsu. The interference of the Kyubi chakra was a significant factor. There was only one person who could fix this issue, and that was Jiraiya. He hadn''t been around for a while, but when he next showed up, Aoto resolved to ask him to adjust the seal to allow Naruto better use of ninjutsu. Of course, there was another option: speaking with the Nine-Tails. However, that conversation would likely be futile, given the creature''s deep-seated animosity toward humans. So, for the time being, Jiraiya was the safer bet. "Naruto, don''t stress too much about your progress. Hard work always pays off. Keep at it. I''m confident that one day you''ll be an exceptional shinobi," Aoto reassured. "Aoto-san, I don''t just want to be a great shinobi, but also a great sorcerer," Naruto revealed. This took Aoto by surprise. When Naruto first arrived, his ambition was to become Hokage. Now, he had added a new aspiration. "Hahaha... Becoming a great sorcerer won''t be an easy feat," Aoto commented. "I know, but I won''t give up on my dreams. I want to be a Hokage who''s also a sorcerer and a formidable shinobi. That way, I can protect the village with all my might," Naruto declared. In response, Aoto couldn''t help but smile, feeling a sense of pride that Naruto was so resolute in his goals. They continued their conversation, with Aoto offering encouragement for Naruto to persevere, assuring him that even if he didn''t progress as quickly as others, success would come in time. As they spoke, Teuchi, who had been busy in the background, chimed in. "Aoto, we''re expecting some visitors from the Hidden Cloud village in a few days. They''re interested in establishing business relations with us." Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "Huh? What?" Aoto''s attention snapped to Teuchi. "Yes. Didn''t you hear? The Hidden Cloud village wants to foster strong ties with Konoha, so some representatives will be arriving soon to discuss matters with the Hokage," Teuchi confirmed. "Really?" Aoto''s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He understood what this meant for the future and how he could leverage it to his advantage. "Yeah, you didn''t hear about that?" Teuchi smiled and asked. "No. When are they coming?" Aoto asked as his voice was slowly getting somber. "Maybe in four or five weeks. Konoha will be getting ready to welcome them in a month or so. You should talk with them." Teuchi said. "I will think about it." Aoto said. After eating ramen, Aoto and Naruto were ready to get back home when snow started falling slowly. "Naruto, do you have all the warm clothes?" Aoto asked. "Yes. Don''t worry Aoto-san, I have all." Naruto assured. "Let''s go shopping today." Aoto said. "Really? Hurray!!" Naruto was very happy to know that they go for shopping and thus they went on a small shopping spree. Both Naruto and Aoto bought some warm clothes and Naruto even bought a small blue scarf for Yoriichi to which Aoto laughed. But as they roamed around Aoto did hear the whisper of Kumogakure Head ninja coming to their village for the peace treaty. Actually, Aoto was a bit taken aback by this. The treaty was supposed to happen much earlier because Aoto remembered that the Kumogakure came when Hinata was much younger and tried to kidnap her. But now, it was pushed back. Probably due to his butterfly effect. "Aoto-san, do you wish to do business with the Kumogakure?" Naruto asked as they were going back home. This surprised Aoto. "No. Why do you say that?" Aoto asked. "You are distracted the whole time we were shopping." Naruto said. This surprised Aoto and he realized that Naruto was more attentive than he thought. "I am just thinking of some other thing. I am not thinking of them." Aoto said and that was the truth. He wasn''t really thinking of them, but was thinking of the death of Neji''s father if it was going to happen or not. If the things happened like the original, then it was time for them to interfere. They weren''t as weak as they were once. They had 4 Captain class shinigamis which were enough to keep things in control. Though, they might not have the numbers like the Hyuga family, but they were powerful to a huge extent. It seems they would have to make preparations for whatever that was coming. Soon they returned back home and Aoto called for a meeting for everyone in the library. "I heard Kumogakure is coming for the treaty." Aoto asked as everyone sat in the library. Naruto and Torune had already slept so they were the only ones in the library and of course Chomei was also there but she was just a watcher of sorts and not really interested in the dealings of humans. She had gotten overly attached with magic and would spend more time in learning about them. "Yes. But I thought it didn''t matter since we have already decided with the Hidden Stone Village?" Kisuke said. "No. I don''t want any treaty with them at the moment, but they are coming at the same time as the birthday of the chief of Hyuga clan." Aoto said. "Is it important?" Shikuro asked as he was confused about the connection between the birthday of the Hyuga chief and Kumogakure. "They might try to kidnap someone from the Hyuga clan and steal their byakugan." 153 Chibi live versions This caused to raise a huge discussion between everyone where Shikuro spoke of the fact that many villages had tried to get their hands on byakugan and even sharingan. Sharingan was almost not possible for anyone to use because it was hard to replicate and use the sharingan. The only person who could successfully do so was Kakashi and he was a genius to begin with. But byakugan had immediate profits and thus many villages had tried. In fact, Hidden Mist village was able to use one and had a ninja that could use the byakugan. It was a long discussion but Aoto was silent the whole time. But at the end, it was Unohana who spoke the words of logic. "I understand all of this but my question is. Why do we care?" This shut everyone up and people who were a but emotional. Unohana was right. Why should they care? It was the problem of Hyuga and they shouldn''t mess around with them. Konoha would take care of it. "Normally we shouldn''t have cared. But the thing is we need help from Hyuga family too. If we help them here, we can get their good faith. And in addition, it is time that they abolish their harsh tradition." "Are you crazy? You said that you want to have good faith with them and then you want to wreck them? They will never accept your proposal and will attack you for sure." Shikuro said. "What harsh tradition are we talking about?" Unohana asked and then Aoto proceeded to tell her about the mark that the other clan members have on their heads which allowed the higher members of the clan to control the others. It was done so that if a Hyuga member died, the ones who control the curse mark would make their eyes useless and thus never letting the enemies get their hands on the byakugan. This was a good way to not let the enemies get their hands on a powerful weapon but it was also a cruel way to control the other clan members. "But why are we doing this? If we do this, we will expose our abilities more." Kisuke said. "We will but it''s time that Konoha knows of our presence. Don''t you think so." Aoto said. "You really want to do this?" John asked. He had been silent the whole time as he didn''t know what to say. For people like the Hyuga clan members, who had been oppressed, he did have a soft spot because he had seen the discrimination that the people from beyond the wall had to face when they were on the other side and even died for them once. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "I''m not sure. It will depend on many factors. I''m just speculating at the moment that they might go for the Byakugan. If they don''t, that''s fine, and Konoha will be able to defend themselves. But I don''t want the aftermath of some kind due to this incident, and we might be able to convince them otherwise later," Aoto said. "So basically, it''s all up to fate?" Arya asked. Aoto nodded. "I''m still against interfering in the whole scenario. Their problem isn''t related to us, and though we are powerful, we don''t need to show the world," Unohana said. In fact, her words made total sense. Except for the Uchiha problem, they didn''t need to interfere. But Aoto wanted to help Neji and Hinata have a better childhood. Maybe Aoto was being selfish here, but he wanted to do this of his own accord. He had been lying dormant for quite some time now, and now it was time to wake up a bit. A few days had gone by after the discussion, and one afternoon Naruto went out alone to roam through the village in the snow. Aoto had given him warm clothes, and he was very happy. He had been studying diligently and working hard, so Shikuro had advised him to take some days off. As he was wandering around, watching the beautiful snow displace under his steps, he heard some noise. A noise that he seemed to have heard somewhere before. As he approached and saw the situation, he understood why he felt like that. It was because the noise was created by three of his classmates, and they were busy harassing a small girl with white eyes. "I heard that she is from the Byakugan family. She doesn''t look like much." "I tell you, she belongs to the family of the demons." "She is definitely a demon." The more they spoke, the angrier Naruto became. He had seen that girl before, and though he didn''t remember the name, he did recognize her. "Hey, get away from her," Naruto shouted. The three children, upon hearing the shout, turned around and saw Naruto standing there, looking at them with anger. "Hahaha.. Look.. There''s another demon kid.." one of them said. "Hahahaha.. How can he be a demon? He is at best a rat," the other one said. "The teacher told us he is the worst and he can never be a ninja." Naruto felt his blood boil, but he kept his cool and said. "How do you guys feel so superior after ganging up on a single girl? In my eyes, you are the demons," Naruto shouted. "What?" "How dare he call us demons." "Beat him up." Naruto performed a single hand sign and uttered. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu) *puff* Two very small versions of Naruto appeared, each about the height of ankles. The other three thought that Naruto had finally learned some ninjutsu. Seeing the chibi Naruto, they looked at him for a second to understand if he was serious or not and then burst out laughing. They didn''t waste any more time and jumped on him to beat him up. While they started beating him, if one paid attention, they would see that a black cat was observing all of this while sitting leisurely, with almost no emotions in its eyes. 154. It will be a waste if you dont use it The three children started beating up Naruto with punches and kicks. Naruto tried to fight back, but he was outnumbered, and he wasn''t proficient in taijutsu. As he was getting pummeled, he reflected on everything he had learned up to this point. Over the months, he had come to understand one thing. Apart from Aoto and his friends, almost no one else cared for him. Even the teachers at the Academy ignored and avoided him like a plague. The only teacher who treated him kindly was Iruka, and whenever his class came up, Iruka would be in a good mood, while the others felt like a chore. The classes he loved were the ones with Shikuro and Corazon. Sometimes, John would also come and teach him about swordsmanship. Though it was basic training, Naruto cherished the attention he received in the library. He treasured the way Edward and Winry looked at him, as if he were their own son. Even though they mostly met in the library, he enjoyed spending time with them. He also cherished the late-night talks with Grandma Pinako; she was incredibly kind to him. As Naruto was being beaten, he found himself reminiscing about all the changes that had occurred over the past few months. Being beaten at the moment filled him with anger. He felt like a failure if he couldn''t retaliate. "Aaaahh!" Naruto shouted with all his might, and then, out of nowhere, a spherical shield with intricate orange designs materialized and blasted away from Naruto''s body. The small dome struck the three boys who were attacking him, throwing them back before they could comprehend what had happened. The three children were both shocked and hurt by the sudden hit and cried out in pain. Naruto slowly got up and looked at them. His face was covered in bruises, and his clothes were torn in various places. His red scarf was also tattered, but Naruto paid it no mind. He joined his palms together, and in the next second, thick orange-colored threads appeared between them as he separated his hands. Then he let one hand go. The huge rope-like object was now like a whip in his hand as he struck the ground. Snow and dust flew everywhere. The other three children, looking on in horror, muttered to each other. "What is he?" "That''s not ninjutsu... We were never taught that." This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "I told you he''s a demon. Run..." Though the three children were hurt by the defensive spherical shield that appeared out of nowhere, they still had enough strength to get up and run, and so they did. They sprinted like madmen, driven by fear. Naruto was panting as he saw them run but he was also happy. This put a smile in his face. The whip in his hand slowly dissipated. "Are you okay?" Naruto asked as he saw Hinata still standing and looking at him with awe. She had never met someone who stood for him. His father was disappointed at her and had almost alienated her. "You.. You are bruised all over the place." Hinata said as she shyly picked up the red scarf that had fallen down. "It''s fine.. I will be fine. Our family has a doctor at home. She will heal me up in no time." Naruto had a warm smile in his face. "You scarf.. It''s damaged." Hinata said. "It''s fine.. It''s just a scarf. It''s cold here. You should go home. I will go home too." Naruto said and out of nowhere Yoriichi appeared. "Ah Yoriichi-san.. I was just roaming outside for a bit." Yoriichi looked deeply at the eyes of Naruto and then at Hinata. And after that she turned around and walked away while Naruto started talking with her like a close friend. Living at home Naruto understood that his family would always talk to her like another person of the family and thus he too would do that. It made Naruto talk with her like normal too. Hinata looked at the cat and boy duo, and though she was a bit stressed, it did put a smile in her face. When Naruto was back home, Aoto noticed the bruises and the torn clothes. Naruto fervently and proudly spoke of how he was able to do magic. "Oh so you have finally learnt how to use whips. You can start with the whip training then." Aoto said. Naruto nodded heavily. "Where is you scarf?" Aoto asked as he noticed that the red scarf was missing. "Oh it was torn and damaged, so I didn''t bring it back." Naruto said. "Hmm.. Did the girl offer you the scarf?" Aoto asked as he realized that it was probably here that Hinata fell in deep love with Naruto. But of course this love might fade away too if Naruto didn''t continue down the path of being dedicated to his hard work and continue to be better. It was Aoto''s and their responsibility that Naruto turns out to be a good man in the future. Unoahana was called in and she came within a few minutes. Seeing the bruises, she started healing Naruto and he was fine within no time. "You must be tired Naruto. Go and sleep." Aoto said. Naruto nodded and went to his room to sleep. It was so cold outside and being at home was the best thing that ever was. Meanwhile Aoto looked at Yoriichi and asked. "Did he really use magic?" Yoriichi nodded her head. Naruto had been trying to make progress in magic and though he had always understood the theory, there were no actual practical results. This was the first time and it made Aoto happy. He was someone of master talent and it would be wasted if he couldn''t even do magic and sorcery. "Well, at least he is fine and well. I hope those kids'' parents don''t come and grill us. I would hate to knock them down again." Aoto murmured. 155. Come bull, hit me "Kisuke... Start teaching Naruto Hakuda (hand-to-hand combat). He will need it," Aoto said. Kisuke just looked at Aoto for a second and then at Yoruichi. "Why am I being dragged into this?" Kisuke asked. "Because Yoruichi-san is busy basking in the sun all day long," Aoto said. "Are you saying that I am a lazy person?" Yoruichi, who was busy eating, said in a sharp tone. "No, he is saying that you are more spoiled than all of us," Unohana said, not caring at all for their feelings. This made Yoruichi angry. Normally she would give another sarcastic reply, but since it was Unohana, she didn''t say a word. Unohana commanded a different kind of respect from them, and everyone was a bit afraid of her. They talked about more things and the upcoming problem with the Hyuga. The next day, Naruto went to school as usual, and along the way, he met Hinata, who thanked him profusely. Naruto didn''t seem to care much about it and told her to be strong so she could beat anyone she wanted. To this, Naruto just nodded. But from that day, a new kind of training started for Naruto. Kisuke would give him pointers for half an hour every day and teach him hand-to-hand combat. This made Naruto happy as he was finally being taught how to do hand-to-hand combat. In addition to this, Naruto was finally able to do magic, so he started training in that matter too. A few more weeks passed, and finally, the day of the Hyuga chief''s birthday arrived. That meant the Head ninja of Kumogakure was here. In fact, a few days ago, Hiruzen showed up and asked if he would like to extend his business to Kumogakure. "Hokage-sama, are you serious? Kumogakure has been on our tail for such a long time, and Konoha is willing to make a deal with them?" Aoto asked. "Aoto, we can''t hold on to our grudges forever," Hiruzen said. "You are wrong. People who lost someone will hold on to that pain for a lifetime. At best, they may forgive but never forget. And the only reason humanity can let go of their grudges and work together is if there is a greater threat to them. Only then will they all come together. Don''t believe me? Remember what happened to the Uzumaki clan?" Aoto asked. This made Hiruzen shut up and not know how to reply. Aoto seemed to know about the Uzumaki too, which meant he knew about Naruto''s lineage at least a bit, if not everything. He had made a huge secret of the fact that Naruto was the son of Minato, but the fact of the Uzumaki was known to many villages, so they couldn''t just cover it up. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Hiruzen was silent for a bit and then asked, "So you don''t want to expand your business?" He was both happy and sad because Aoto rejected having some business arrangements with Kumogakure. Happy because it meant that Aoto was loyal to Konoha, and a bit sad too because it meant money wouldn''t come in the same way it did from the Land of Iron. So that was the decision that Aoto had taken, and thus not even bothered to talk with anyone from Kumogakure. At evening, Aoto and Kisuke had been invited to the celebrations of the Hyuga chief''s birthday. They had also taken a gift for him. The celebrations weren''t something very grand and very few people were invited. Among the invitations, there were many known faces. Almost all of the heads of clans had come to congratulate him for the birthday. Even Fugaku had shown up for the birthday. "Ah Aoto.. You are here... Why does Arya not show up now a days.. Lyanna kinds of misses her." Fugaku said. Arya had been learning a little too extensively for the past few weeks because Aoto was able to defeat her in arena battle and thus she took it as an insult had been studying like crazy. "Sorry Fugaku-san. She had been too busy training. I will tell her that Lyanna misses her." Aoto said. Both of them spoke of day to day things but one could see that Fugaku looked a bit tired. Aoto could tell that politics of the clan was getting to him and the massacre of the Uchiha wasn''t a much distant away. Aoto talked with others too while also congratulating Hiashi for his birthday. From the corner of his eye he saw the ones who came from the Kumogakure too. There were five of them and looked quite gentle to be here. He was talking with and thanked everyone for the fact that they had supported them in this treaty between Konoha and Kumo. The more Aoto looked at him and his colleagues the more his intuition was telling him that Hyuga kidnapping would definitely happen. The celebration was perfunctory to say the least as the grownups talked about all other things and were cordial. Though there weren''t any hatred between any clans, Aoto could tell that their friendships too weren''t deep. This made Aoto sigh. Another thing he got to know from the conversations was that the cloud ninjas were invited to stay with them for the night. After getting out of the small celebration, Aoto called all of his friends in the library. "So the Hyuga affair will probably happen tonight." Aoto said. "Sigh. Another politics." Corazon said as he lit up his cigarette. "I haven''t been able to move around a lot. This would be fun." John said as he stretched his arms for a bit. "Where is Yoruichi-san?" "She is doing her job for the night." Kisuke said. Everyone nodded as they understood that Yoruichi was in some kind of secret mission. With everyone together, they were at Aoto''s home taking rest and getting ready for the night. This night would be an eventful one and thus they were saving their energy. And as expected, it was around 1.30 am when suddenly a small beep sound came from a small device that was placed in the room. Everyone who had their eyes closed all this time, got up immediately. 156. Where do these people get the courage from Everyone in the next moment instantly moved out. Shikuro opened a portal, and in the next second, they were in the woods. The night was gloomy with a little bit of clouds in the sky which shadowed the bright full moon at times. At this time of the night, it was creepy and one could hear the sounds of insects and occasional small cries of animals and night birds. "Brr... It''s cold out here," Corazon said. "What did you expect in the solid snow?" Arya said. She and John were more accustomed to the cold than others were. They had been seeing cold and harsh winters for more than half of their life so it was just another Tuesday for them. "Spread out. We already got the message of the general direction of where they are running off to," Kisuke said as he monitored the device on his hand. They made themselves into three different teams with Aoto, Corazon, and Kisuke on one team. Unohana, Shikuro, and Arya on the other team, while Tessai, John, and Edward in one. Aoto didn''t come empty-handed. He had brought the Cloak of Levitation. Yes, in the past month from the ''museum'' section of the library, the Cloak of Levitation actually came and chose him. Honestly speaking, Aoto was a bit surprised by this. The Cloak belongs to Strange and the Cloak''s choice had always been top-notch. Aoto actually thought that maybe someday the cloak would belong to Naruto since he was the guy with the highest talent among them, but even after Naruto showed up, the Cloak came to him. He was elated due to this, and now that he was on an expedition, he needed to show off a bit. The Cloak was just the one which Strange used. It had sentience of its own and helped Aoto at times. They went towards the direction Kisuke had spotted and within minutes, they heard some rustles. Within no time, Corazon used a subtle magic that made them transparent and soon got to see what was going on. It was Hiashi against the 5 Kumogakure ninjas with the head ninja holding unconscious Hinata in his hand. Hiashi was fighting off the ninjas with all his might and he looked very angry. The Kumogakure ninjas didn''t expect that Hiashi would be this powerful and he was overwhelming them steadily. "Hiashi... I didn''t expect that you would follow us here. Don''t you care about the safety of your daughter?" The head ninja shouted through his gritted teeth. He knew that if it went on, they would be in danger. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "You scumbags of Kumogakure... Konoha has committed to inviting you foxes in. Do you think I will allow you to hurt my daughter?" Hiashi said as he combated the other 4 ninjas in hand to hand, while Hiashi was able to deliver palm strikes on their bodies. "If you don''t stop, I will kill your daughter," the head ninja threatened. "Then you will definitely die," Hiashi said. "The Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms." A revolving form of chakra surrounded Hiashi and the four people who were attacking him were blown away several meters before each of them lost consciousness. The head ninja now had an ugly look on his face as he held the kunai on the neck the small child. "Don''t come near. One step further and she is dead. If you let me leave I will promise that I will leave your daughter in the woods. As long as you let me leave, or else even if I die I will kill your daughter before I do so." The head ninja threatened. Hiashi stopped in his tracks. He knew that if he wanted to stop this guy he would need to be decisive and make him believe he had the chance. "Leave my daughter exactly 1 kilometer to the east from here. My byakugan can go far beyond mere kilometers and I will find you no matter what and then even if my daughter''s life is on the line, I will still kill you." Hiashi said in a very deep and somber tone. "You better not lie to me and if I see a single misstep, I will kill her." the head ninja said. "My family is important to me and I wouldn''t gamble on that." Hiashi said. The head ninja looked around for a bit and started running towards the east as fast as his legs could carry. He was hopping from one branch to another as he ran away. But Hiashi was clever fox. Of course, he wouldn''t let this guy just run away. He closely followed them and did so in the most stealthy way possible. He took a side route and always kept an eye on the man with his byakugan. He was going to ambush him from the front side. Hiashi was a very capable ninja and was faster. This was enough to go at the front and attack him there. And Hiashi''s tactic worked. Soon he was in front of the man and hid himself. He waited for the head ninja to arrive. "Hmph! Once I leave far I will inject the poison on her which would need antidote immediately. I have lost all my comrades and I am sure that Raikage-sama will be furious." The head ninja was having all these thoughts when out of nowhere a loud sound came. It was as if wind was breaking by some massive force and before he knew he felt a huge pain on his lower abdomen. He felt like his body was torn apart and before he fell and lost consciousness he saw himself passing through a circular bright orange revolving door which was glowing like sparks. Before he could understand the head ninja passed out. Hinata who was on his shoulder had already slid off. "Come out, I know you are here." Hiashi shouted as he held his dear daughter in his arms. He was able to catch her before she hit the ground and was able to save her. 157. You are stupid "Ahh... You caught me... As expected of the famous Hyuga clan," Kisuke came out from the side of a tree. He had a walking stick in hand and a smile on his face. It was the first time any Hyuga member had used their Byakugan on one of the shinigami, and suffice to say, he was taken aback. He couldn''t see the chakra lines; all he could see was that Kisuke was actually made of chakra (or in this case, energy). He was taken aback by this. He had never faced this kind of situation before. When he was focusing on the head ninja, he didn''t notice much of his surroundings, but he knew that someone was following him, keeping a distance. But now that he was up close with the person and used the Byakugan on them, he was a bit terrified. "Who are you?" Hiashi asked. "Aiya... Did you forget the shopkeeper that you often visit?" Kisuke asked. By this time, Aoto and Corazon had also come out. He could see the small chakra lines on Aoto''s body, but it wasn''t much, and there were no chakra lines on Corazon''s body. He couldn''t make heads or tails of it. This was absurd. But he didn''t voice out his questions. He was outside Konoha, and he didn''t know if they were spies or enemies. "It''s you. Aoto? Do you want to be an enemy of Konoha?" Hiashi shouted. "Hiashi-san, why would we be enemies of Konoha? We just came here to see if everything is alright," Aoto said. "And you should go and get Hinata checked. We can talk about what happened here later." Hiashi had many questions in mind, but he knew that this was not the moment to discuss and find answers. He just looked at them for a moment and then ran back to Konoha so that he could take Hinata to the hospital. The trio just looked at the departing figure of Hiashi and didn''t move an inch. "I think he saw through your body," Aoto said as he looked at the departing figure of Hiashi. He had noticed that Hiashi had flinched when he saw Corazon and Kisuke. Aoto could already guess that he had seen that Kisuke wasn''t a ''normal'' person at all. "That was going to come out one way or the other. At least this time it will be on our terms," Kisuke said. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Did we get him?" Corazon asked. "Yes. Unohana is looking after him," Kisuke said as he checked his communicator. Seeing that everything had ended, they went back to the place where the first confrontation happened. There they saw the unconscious Kumogakure ninjas. They were still out cold. Without any delay, Aoto revolved his hands and had sent them to his home. Of course, before he did so, he tied their hands and legs using a magical seal. If they moved a lot, the seal would inflict bodily pain. It would take insane strength to break it, and it was almost impossible for them. They too went back home using the portal. As soon as they reached they saw Unohana healing the head ninja. This guy had a hole in his right side of the chest. The attack was one of the signature palm pressure attacks of the Hyuga clan and it went straight through the body of head ninja. "Will he survive?" "He should be able to pull it off." Unoahana said. "Good. We will need to him to bring down Kumogakure a notch." Aoto said. Konoha was put into high alert that night and it was on curfew mode. Nobody moved and waited for the dawn to break. It didn''t take long for the sun to be out and a small rumor spread that something happened had happened to the Hyuga clan but didn''t know what. Aoto in the morning was expecting some people from either Hiruzen''s side or Hyuga which was quite odd but he didn''t go and knock on their doors. The whole day went and nothing happened until at evening Hiashi showed up with Hizashi. And from the looks of things both of them were stressed and anxious. Aoto sent Naruto to be with Torune for the night. "Welcome.. I thought I will be taken to police by now under the suspect of being a spy." Aoto joked. Hiashi just smiled half heartedly and hook his head. They both sat across the table. "We need your help." Hiashi said. "Oh! What can I do for you? How is Hinata?" Aoto asked. "She is doing well. Nothing happened to her. Yesterday, you saved the head ninja didn''t you?" Hiashi asked. "Eh! Why are you asking that?" "It''s because the Kumogakure had sent a letter asking us to hand over the head ninja and his team or they want my life in return. They say that I have killed them but.." Hiashi stopped after saying that, "But?" Aoto asked. "That circular thing. Though I could only get a sneak at it, it seemed like its some kind of space-time ninjutsu and you and your friends sent the guy to a safe place. I know that you are not some kind of spy as you have helped Konoha. I dare say that Hokage-sama trusts you more than us, since he even gave that kid to you." "That kid has a name you know." Aoto didn''t bother to reply to the other and hung up on the last part. Hiashi instantly understood that he rubbed Aoto the wrong way when he didn''t mention him by the name. He has heard that Aoto was protective of him and even was ready to go to war with some of the villagers for him. He apologized immediately. "That''s fine. Lets go over the fact. So you want me to hand over the head ninja?" Aoto asked. Hiashi nodded. "Then you are stupid if you think that handing over live head ninja and his team would do the job." Aoto continued. This made Hiashi''s pupils contract a bit and then sighed. --- 158. Why not substitution jutsu "Why would it not?" Hizashi asked. "Suppose the head ninja is fine and dandy and is allowed to go back to his home. He will immediately be ''checked'' and it won''t take a minute for them to accuse us of the crime of harming the messenger and do something else in return," Aoto said. This made both of them stiffen and they didn''t know how to reply. The Hyuga brothers already knew that this would happen, but they needed someone to tell them this to their face. The family wanted to get Aoto and let him send the men he had saved. But the brothers knew that this wouldn''t finish the job. "By the way, did they ask for anything in return?" Aoto asked. "There has been some back and forth between Konoha and Kumo. They asked for my body to be sent to them," Hiashi replied. "Hmm... So what have you thought? Sacrifice yourself? Or your brother here?" Aoto asked. "What?" Hiashi was appalled by Aoto''s words. "Oh please, don''t act like your family haven''t thought about it. Since your brother is a twin, you can already pass as yourself. If he doesn''t want to do it, the curse mark is there to make sure he does the job," Aoto said. There was complete disbelief written all over Hiashi''s face. Two or three members of the family who are on the other faction did subtly suggest it, but he hadn''t paid attention. Or more so because he didn''t want to think of that solution. He came here expecting a live head ninja, not getting schooled by a young man. "What are you so surprised about? This has been the norm, I am pretty sure. Konoha doesn''t want a war at the moment, so that piece of shit Danzo might have come and suggested it to your family members or maybe your family themselves had thought about it. After all, you all are hypocrites. Including you," Aoto said. "I am done with your accusations. Just give us the head ninja and we will be on our way," Hiashi said, shaking as he spoke. He was very angry at the moment, and only a bit of sanity was left for him to talk, only because Aoto was useful to him at the moment. "As I said before, taking him away won''t finish the job," Aoto replied without even bothering with his words. This was it for Hiashi. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Without much thought, he attacked right there. Of course, he didn''t attack to kill him but to teach him a lesson and incapacitate him. But then he got the shock of his life. His attack couldn''t even materialize when shiny orange tendrils burst out of the floor and held him by his hands, abdomen, and his feet. Within a moment, he was on the ground quivering. Hizashi wanted to help his brother, but Aoto gave him a look that meant if he moved an inch, he would be the next to suffer the same fate. Both of their Byakugan were in full force, and they couldn''t see the chakra at all. It was as if the world had come to life around them and stopped Hiashi. Hiashi was croaking a bit as the tendrils had actually caught his throat and were close to choking him. "The last person who attacked us lost an arm. Do you know why Danzo never comes to my place even though I am selling quite exotic things here, and why the Hokage seems to be friendly with me? Is it because I am their secret grandson? Hell no. Even the Uchiha respect me. The ignorant are always the first to go, and it seems today it''s your turn," Aoto said. "You... You... Can''t... Can''t... Kill me," Hiashi spoke while being choked, out of breath. "Kisuke... John..." Aoto called, and from another room, both of them emerged. Kisuke was holding a man-sized dummy on his shoulder and threw it on the floor. Though Hiashi was on the floor, he could look around. He actually wanted to scream but couldn''t at all, same as Hizashi. Hizashi was confused about it. Kisuke didn''t reply and went on to draw some blood from the body of Hiashi on a kunai. He then took out a small green-colored ball and drenched the ball in the blood of Hiashi. After that, he allowed the dummy to swallow the ball, and within seconds, the lifeless gray-colored ball started to change, and within seconds it went from lifeless to someone everyone knew. It was Hiashi. The dummy became the perfect copy of Hiashi. Hiashi and Hizashi were horrified. They couldn''t believe what they were seeing. The copy of Hiashi stood up and bowed down. "What can I do for you?" "This is what we call a gigai. Except for the Byakugan and total memories, he can copy you and be your substitute. He can take your place easily, if I kill you," Kisuke said. "Ha... Ha... ha. It''s just some memories. He... can never rep... replace me," Hiashi said. "You are right. This is where John comes in," Aoto said. John came forward and asked Hizashi to remove his headband. Hizashi was confused but followed the instruction. He knew that not following the instruction would just lead to pain like his twin brother. After the headband was taken off, John came forward and his hands were already shining in a dark red hue. Hizashi felt his spine tingle and all of his body hairs became straight like bamboo. He wanted to move but couldn''t. It was as if a force was stopping him from moving. John overlooked everything and placed his hands on his forehead. Hizashi felt a cool sensation instead of the death that he thought was approaching, and the sensation only lasted for a minute or so. "There, now you are out of the curse mark and can just replace him and take this gigai as your own self. You are now the head of the Hyuga clan," Aoto said. 159. Maybe they are right Hizashi and Hiashi were both speechless and didn''t know what had just happened. It had been a roller coaster ride for Hizashi. He had simply followed his brother to apprehend the culprits, as Hiashi didn''t want whatever occurred to be officially recorded by Konoha. In the end, both of them were essentially ''captured'', and they saw with their own eyes that their fates had changed. Hizashi was so shocked that he had to look at the small mirror on the side of the room to confirm what he was feeling. The blind spot that he had on the back of his head no longer existed. Additionally, he could instinctively tell that the curse mark was gone. Hiashi just murmured unintelligibly, as he too couldn''t believe what had just happened. John had actually been studying seals and curses for the past few months, along with chaos magic. With the help of Kisuke, who was highly skilled in seals, John and Kisuke had started to understand them from two different perspectives. The curse seal on Hizashi was just another one, and John, with his proficiency in chaos magic, was able to remove it. "I... I... I don''t know what to say," Hizashi said. "You don''t have to say anything. Just go back with this gigai. Tell them you had already decided, and this gigai will be given as compensation to Kumogakure. Meanwhile, your brother will stay here for the time being. If you really want to free your brother, abolish the curse mark problem, untie the factions, and then I will release your brother," Aoto said. Hizashi trembled a bit when Aoto mentioned abolishing the curse mark as the chief of the Hyuga clan. He hadn''t actually considered it before, since the curse mark seemed unremovable. But now he had the power. Not the complete power at the moment, but at least this was a major step forward. Imitating Hiashi was very easy, since they had practically been brought up together and he had been his shadow his entire life. The more Hizashi thought, the more he realized that Aoto''s words made complete sense. He could truly change the fate of the Hyuga clan. "You follow him from now on and end yourself when he asks you to. Send Hinata over. She needs to know that her father is being held here," Aoto said. "Huh?" Hizashi was confused and looked at Aoto. "His daughter deserves to know the truth, and let her come to this place if she wants to. As for Neji, it''s up to you whether you want to tell him the truth. He would be a fine ninja even if he thinks he lost his father," Aoto said. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Hizashi was so engrossed in thoughts about the clan that he had almost forgotten about his son. His son would be devastated if he found out that his ''father'' had passed away. He would have to reconsider after he got back. "So, can I go?" Hizashi sheepishly asked. He didn''t want to move an inch without permission, for fear of angering them. "Yes. You follow him," Aoto said and commanded the gigai. "Can I come and meet my brother?" Hizashi asked. "Of course you can. I just want to bring your high-and-mighty brother down from the heavens," Aoto said. Hiashi, listening to Aoto, flinched but didn''t know what to say. The choking had finally stopped. Hizashi took one glance at his brother, steeled his heart, and walked out after bowing down to him, asking for forgiveness for the impending betrayal. The gigai followed him out, and Hizashi took long strides, vanishing from the street as fast as he could, fearing that Aoto might change his mind. Aoto released the magical ropes that had held him immobile. Unlike the last time, Hiashi didn''t lunge or start berating Aoto. Instead, he had tears in his eyes. Maybe the tears were of anger, or maybe it was humiliation, but Aoto didn''t care. "What do you want from me?" Hiashi asked, speaking through the tears. "Do you have anything to offer the world other than those eyes?" Aoto asked. "You want my eyes?" "Don''t overestimate yourself. Your eyes mean nothing to us. I''m just saying that''s all you have to give. You aren''t a good chief, not a good father. You''re just a shell of a man trying to cling to ancient traditions for no reason, as if you''ll lose your identity otherwise." "Bad father..." Hiashi was a bit confused and didn''t understand how he was a bad father. "How narcissistic can you be? You can''t even see that your own daughter is suffering just because she isn''t as cruel as the others," Aoto asked. Hiashi was stupefied by what he was hearing. He had never considered this from his daughter''s perspective. He was disappointed with how his daughter was turning out, as he wanted her to lead the clan in the future. He was trying hard to make her strong so she could face the world and lead the Hyuga clan. "She deserves to know how cruel the world is," Hiashi said. "She does need to know, but she''s just a 5-year-old kid who needs her father''s love. Instead, all you give her is a hard time and make her feel less of herself. You all have created a world where even the children aren''t spared. Your politics only bring more pain to the people around for no reason. Sometimes I feel that what the ¨­tsutsuki Clan does is probably what you all deserve," Aoto said. "¨­tsutsuki Clan?" Hiashi had a question mark over his head, as he had never heard the name of such a clan in his life. "Nothing. Just vanish from my sight," Aoto said and sent him to the library. Unlike others, when he was sent to the library it was in a closed space. Though he got to see everything around but he couldn''t touch them. He could only see the huge library in its grandiosity and have more questions than answers. 160. Isolation is a huge punishment "You are going to accumulate a lot of hatred from Hinata once she comes to know." Kisuke said. "Better than living her current life. At least Hizashi would treat her better and maybe she would have more self confidence then she has at the moment." Aoto said. Meanwhile, Hizashi went back to the clan. He was shaking a bit and felt like he would do a very bad job acting as the Hyuga chief and he would be ousted. He wanted to scream to them and speaking of the truth. But as he started walking towards the main hall where everybody'' were waiting for their return, a young kid ran and went on to hug the gigai on the right. Hizashi stiffened up as he had extended his arms in order to hug the young kid. The kid was Neji. "Papa, where did you go?" "Uh.. We went to meet an important. Neji, why don''t you go to your place and your father will soon come to meet you." Hizashi didn''t let the gigai speak and answered himself. Though Aoto had assured him that the gigai could talk and answer according to the situation, he didn''t want to take any risk. It was mostly him panicking. Neji nodded and after bowing to Hizashi went the other way. The curse mark was already been put on his forehead and he was already holding a grudge against Hiashi but he never dared to show his hatred. After Neji left, Hizashi sighed in relief that his son also couldn''t see the difference. But seeing his son, it made Hizashi stronger in his resolve. Aoto was right, he would be sacrificed for the greater good and Neji would be a fatherless child. He didn''t want that kind of future for his brilliant child of whom he was proud. Taking a deep breath, he went to Hiashi''s place and called for a meeting of all the important members of the clan and that he had finally taken a decision. While he called for them, he had asked the gigai to follow his instructions. And thus when the meeting started he apologized at the beginning and said that he and his brother had come to a decision. It was there where the gigai came forward to speak up and said that he was ready to sacrifice himself for Konoha. And in order to make the sacrifice look more authentic, the gigai gave a good speech of him taking the destiny in his own hands, his choice of death being the one. Hizashi showed a ''sad'' face. Though he didn''t understand of how Aoto and his friends were able to make a live person, he didn''t care at that point. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The gigai committed suicide at the evening in hos own room and the words soon spread. The funeral was scheduled the next day and many people were invited. Aoto too came for the funeral and so did various shinobis from Konoha. Aoto even saw Guy and Kakashi showing up. All of them were sad and Hizashi welcomed all of them. When Hizashi saw Aoto and Kisuke, he shuddered a bit but welcomed them. "I am sorry for your loss, Hizashi-san." Aoto said. Hizashi just nodded and put up a sad face. Hizashi just tried to act as true to his character as possible at that point. It was already heart breaking to see his son''s eyes filled with tears when he gave the news away and almost went on to hug him and tell him all the truth. But he also knew that if he did so, his son might not be able to act the way he was supposed to. So he let the nature take its course. His son was strong and hopefully after he gets rid of the curse mark in the future, he would be a great ninja. He needed to get rid of the curse mark in the family and maybe one day Neji would be the head. Hizashi knew that he was being selfish but which father wouldn''t be selfish for his son''s sake. He had already decided that under the guise of chief of Hyuga, he would personally train his son just like he used to. But that was a thing of the future, the situation around needed to calm down at first. Aoto talked with the ones he had been in contact with, and most of the shinobis were friendly with him. Primarily because he had helped them with many tools and though many people found it odd that he had adopted the demon kid, they didn''t bring the topic out. "Hizashi is doing a good job." Kisuke whispered. "He must or else the clan will just break apart like the Uchiha once were." Aoto said. "Uchiha once were broken apart?" Kisuke was surprised and asked. "It was a long time ago, before the village system was established. They have two forbidden jutsus. Izanagi and Izanami. Izanagi can rewrite reality, so some of them used it to make things in their favor, until Izanami was invented that can make a person fall into a loop. There is a lot of history behind that. At the end it was Izanami which saved their clan at that time." Aoto explained and of course he did so in whispering manner so that others couldn''t hear him. "They have quite the history." Kisuke said. Soon the funeral ended and Aoto was back at his place. Aoto knew that Hizashi wouldn''t let Hinata come early, and it would take quite a bit of time or maybe months to let her come here and know the truth. Hiashi wasn''t let out of the library and was held in captivity and just like Chomei initially. Of course, unlike Chomei he didn''t flare up from time to time and just be in captivity and marvel at the books and the library. From time to time he would see various people coming and going in the library. He even saw Naruto and tried to call him, but the magic had isolated him completely and nobody could see him. 161. he is better than I thought Though Hizashi''s death was a major blow to Konoha as a whole, life went on as usual. Konoha was as bright as ever, and Naruto seemed happy to go to school. Unlike the original Naruto, this new version studied theory and wasn''t as naive as before, thanks to his ability to concentrate on his studies. Of course, he threw a tantrum in the beginning, but the magic books made him realize the importance of reading. Even though he understood that the academy books weren''t as helpful as the magical ones, he still read them and excelled in theory. However, practical skills were where he struggled. His kunai handling, ninjutsu, and genjutsu were all lacking. But there was one area where he excelled - taijutsu. Kisuke had finally started training him, and due to Corazon''s influence, Naruto was consistently engaged in weight training to improve his physical abilities. It was done in moderation, not as intensely as Rock Lee, and hakuda didn''t require immense strength to begin with. It was more about using one''s weight against the opponent. So, even though he was struggling with ninjutsu, his overall grades were good, and he wasn''t at the bottom of the class. The only issue was Kurama''s chakra, which posed a significant challenge for him. This new style of taijutsu caught the attention of Iruka, who had now become a teacher at the school, and he reported it to the Hokage. Needless to say, the Hokage was impressed with Naruto''s hand-to-hand combat skills. He fought with an elegant finesse, indicating that someone was teaching him well at home. Of course, Hiruzen didn''t question Aoto about this. Naruto held the same beliefs as he always had, so everything was fine. Two months had passed since the death of ''Hizashi'', and one day, Hizashi showed up with Hinata. After the death of ''Hizashi'', he had been very attentive to Hinata and showed her love. It was more out of guilt, knowing that his own brother was in captivity. At times, he contemplated going and telling Hiruzen, but then he thought about the change he had slowly started to bring about in the clan. He didn''t let the other faction suffer any longer and granted them much more freedom. This didn''t sit well with many of the higher-ranking members of the clan, but Hizashi simply ignored them. He even started training Neji himself and had been upfront with Neji from the start, telling him how his own father had sacrificed himself for the family. He wanted to make it up to him by personally training him. Of course, Neji refused, but Hizashi insisted. He was persistent about it, and it went on for a month before Neji allowed Hizashi to train him for an hour a day. It was a start for both of them, allowing father and son to spend time together. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ''Oh the lies! The freaking lies.'' But finally, today was the day he didn''t need to lie to another one in the family. Hizashi had showed up with Hinata the door step of Aoto''s place in the evening after most of the people had gone back to their home. "Father, why are we here so late at night?" Hinata asked and blushed a bit when she said that. She knew that this was the home of Naruto and thus the prospect of seeing him made her shy and also a bit unexpected. She also noticed one thing after his uncle died. His father was being very loving to her since then. And she noticed quite a bit of change on his behaviour. His father would now be pleasant to everyone and not be all bossy. He showered her and her younger sister with love, and though he would ask them to train but not forcefully. This made Hinata very happy as she finally started to see light at the end of the tunnel and getting the father''s love which she always wanted. She never cared about being the head of the clan and was glad that the whole charade had finally ended. "To see someone close to us." Hizashi said. "Close to us?" Hinata was confused. The first thing that came to her mind then was Naruto but that was impossible. So who was it. She was curious. Hizashi came and knocked on the door. "Come in." Aoto came and opened the door for them. "Good evening, Aoto-san." "Good evening Hinata." Both of them had entered his home and Hinata was half expecting Naruto while Hizashi was expecting to see his brother. But the house was empty except for Aoto. Hizashi was a bit confused and wondered where did he keep his brother. In all these days, he half expected Aoto to be caught and investigated by Konoha because there were many sensory ninjas around but nobody found out. In fact, Hizashi himself used Byakugan to search for his brother from far but to no avail. Where the hell was he keeping him? "So why so late at night?" Aoto asked, and even though he knew he didn''t want to ask in his own accord. "Uh.. We would like to meet him. The girl deserves to know as you once said." Hizashi answered and in a pleading tone. Hinata noticed that her ''father'' was being very respectful to Aoto but didn''t know why. "Right. Then you should tell Hinata of whom she is going to meet." Aoto nodded. Hizashi turned around and bowed with his head hitting the floor. "I am sorry Hinata-sama for lying to you all these months. I am not your father." Hizashi spoke his words as clear as possible. Hinata was not expecting the sudden change of her ''father''. The emotion called confusion hit her like a train. "Eh!" "Yes. Hinata-sama. I am your Uncle Hizashi and in order to survive I had to pose as your father and let someone else die in my place. There is no curse mark on my forehead for some reasons, but your father is fine and he lives here. I am sorry for deceiving you, but this was the only thing I could do to save my life." Hizashi said and Aoto was surprised that Hizashi didn''t paint him as the bad guy. 162. What the hell is going on? Hinata was still very much confused. Though she was quite young and very introverted, it didn''t mean she was stupid. She knew about the curse and once Neji went too far in his training and his father had to use the curse technique. She even apologized to Neji for her father''s actions at that point. But now hearing her ''own father'' was saying that he wasn''t her father and had been masquerading around as one made her a bit confused. "Hinata do you want to see your father?" Aoto asked as he could see that Hinata was still very much confused. Hinata could only subconsciously nod. Getting the green light Aoto and Hinata both vanished and kept Hizashi in the room alone. Hizashi used his Byakugan to see what had happened but he couldn''t see their presence at all. "A space-time ninjutsu like the fourth Hokage? No. It''s better than the fourth Hokage, he didn''t even need to touch Hinata-sama to use the technique? What are you actually Aoto Yamazaki?" Hizashi went into deep thought.
Hinata was taken aback by the sudden change of surroundings but when she saw the new place, she got more confused and more flabbergasted. "Welcome to the library." Aoto said. "What.. What is this?... Library?" "Think of it as a place where all the knowledge of the multiverse converges." Aoto replied. "Multiverse?" Hinata was confused and asked. "Someday you will understand. Now let me take you to your father." Aoto said and they soon walked through the massive library. She could see things and books floating around and was surprised. "This is amazing. I have never seen a place like this in my life. Uh.. If this place is so big why haven''t we seen it Konoha." Hinata asked. "An answer for another day." Aoto didn''t answer and replied. She wanted to ask why it was happening but meeting her father was the point and she wanted to get rid of the confusion. As they were walking, they suddenly heard a loud voice from behind. "Eh Hinata.. You are here too? Torune.. Come here.. Hinata has come." There was only one loud mouth in the whole library after Edward and that was Naruto. He came running in and all excited. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Naru.. Naruto-kun." Hinata was all red now and was almost hyperventilating on the inside. "Eh.. Hinata... Are you all right? Why is your face all red? Do you need some water?" Naruto could see the red face and asked. Torune came from behind and placed his hand on his shoulder. Naruto might be an idiot, but he wasn''t. He could see the adoration Hinata had for Naruto. "Hinata welcome to our secret library. I hope this idiot isn''t a big of a bother for you." Torune said. "No.. No.. Torune-kun I am here to meet someone." Hinata replied. "Someone?" Torune looked at Aoto and he just nodded. Torune knew not to ask anymore. "Hinata now that you are here I can finally show you my Tao mandalas. You know now I can throw them like a boomerang. It''s sad that I still can''t catch them." Naruto said as tao mandalas showed up on his hands and he threw one out. It rotated at high speed and flew out but it didn''t return back, instead it hit a flying book. Naruto was all dejected. The ''book'' seemed to be very angry about the hurt Naruto had caused and thus blasted away the tao mandalas which vanished after a second "Naruto-kun.. What.. What kind of ninjutsu is that?" Hinata couldn''t help but ask. "Ninjutsu... How can it be ninjutsu.. It''s magic.. Didn''t you come here to learn magic?" Naruto was also confused and asked. He knew the rules. Only those who wanted to learn magic would come here and asked. "Magic?" Hinata had a question mark over her head. "That''s alright. She is here for another purpose. You guys go on practicing." Aoto said. "I am going to sleep. I just turned some of the bugs into disfigured coloring beetles and dad is very angry. I better avoid him for the night." Torune said as he yawned. Aoto also sent Naruto away as he had been working hard the whole day. Hinata had more questions now because she had never thought that magic could be like this. She only knew magic as some kind of tool to fool the young kids about ninjutsu and now Naruto was telling him that it was magic. What was going on? Aoto took her and finally came to an open place that seemed to be empty. Aoto swiped his hands and within seconds a transparent huge cube appeared. Inside the huge transparent room was a man sitting reading some book. He looked dejected and crest fallen. Hinata gasped when she saw the man. It was her father. After the death of the ''uncle'' she always felt something was wrong with her father but now that he saw her father again everything clicked for her. Now she understood why her ''father'' there bowed down to her and why he said he was sorry. So his father was actually here all the time. "I know you have questions. You can go and ask him. Don''t worry you can go back after this but your father would have to stay here for the time being." Aoto said and made sure she understood what he meant. Hinata was a bit scared now. If a person like her father could be easily imprisoned and made a fool out of Konoha, it meant this person was really powerful. Did Naruto-kun knew about him? No, he would have said and from the looks of it the imprisonment cell was invisible to her eye before Aoto made it appear. "Can.. Can I go in?" Hinata asked. "Of course." Aoto said and in the next moment, a door appeared like a hole on the transparent wall. She hesitated a bit and walked in. Hiashi who had seem to lost all hope seeing his daughter walk right in was taken aback but then he got a bit angry. 163. Failure in the name of dojutsu Hinata wanted to scream, cry, and maybe throw a fit of anger. But in the end, she just broke down in tears on her knees. Hiashi, who was already furious at the sight of his daughter, rushed to her and activated his Byakugan to see where the bruises were. However, his Byakugan revealed that Hinata was fine, and the chakra flow was not hindered either. So why was she crying? Had Aoto tormented her mentally? "Hinata... Are you okay? Did he hurt you? Tell me, I will seek revenge," Hiashi said, though he could hardly believe his own words. Hinata cried for a few more minutes and then finally stopped. Seeing her father made her realize that all this time, her father wasn''t her real father, and she had been treated well because her father had already been replaced. Here, she thought she had finally found herself a good life, but now that she saw her father again, everything made sense. She felt guilty that a small part of her was relieved her father wasn''t with her anymore, and she felt even more guilty for having such thoughts. Then she also felt angry that her father was imprisoned in a place where Naruto lived. Every kind of emotion overwhelmed her, and being just a child, she broke down. Hiashi held her, and deep inside, he too felt guilt. Being alone with his thoughts and some books that Aoto had provided him to read, Hiashi pondered. The books were mostly about ''fantasy'' stories, and the more he read, the more he realized what kind of person he had been. The stories mostly revolved around the Marvel world, given its vast multiverse, and the library had extensive accounts of them. Reading them was an eye-opener. Being here made him lonely for sure, but it felt good to be away from politics and struggle. Now that he saw her crying, he had a feeling he knew why, but a huge part of him refused to accept the fact due to his previous beliefs. After calming down, Hinata asked, her tears finally stopped. "Father... Is that really you?" "Yes... My daughter... It''s really me... Who hurt you? Tell me." "No... No... Nobody hurt me. I''m sorry you had to see me like this," Hinata said, struggling to find the right words. "Hizashi... My brother... Has he taken good care of you?" Hiashi asked, dreading the question. He hadn''t been very kind to his twin brother, and though it wasn''t entirely his fault, as he was brought up that way, once he grew up, he adopted the same attitude. An arrogant and haughty personality was what he always had. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He wondered if his brother had sought revenge. "No... He has treated me well and even trained me," Hinata said. Those words hurt Hiashi the most. He used to be the one to train his daughter, but later he stopped because he didn''t see any future prospect in his daughter. He understood now that his daughter wasn''t some tool. Being alone made him also realize that it was family and love that really mattered. He would just die one day and all his achievements would be nothing but some pages in history. He was all for retaining and protecting the Hyuga clan but that shouldn''t mean he would lose himself while doing so. "My daughter.. Can.. Can you forgive me?" Hiashi bowed down and said. Hinata who was feeling uncomfortable with her own feelings was taken aback and ran to him to pick him. Her uncle had bowed to her before and that already was too much. And now her father too. "Father what you are doing?" Hinata was scared and asked. Hiashi went on to apologize for all the wrong he had done and said he had failed as a father. This made Hinata more guilty for her own minute thoughts and made her cry more. She promised that she would try to be a better daughter and reach his expectations. She would work more hard. They talked for an hour where Hinata told what was going on in her. They talked for an hour before the door of the box opened and Aoto walked in while clapping his hands. "You.. Why are you here again? Do you want to kidnap my daughter too. You can''t hide her if you kidnap her." Hiashi shouted. Aoto just sighed and the whole room just evaporated. They were out in the open but Hiashi didn''t attack. He had already learnt the lesson. "I am not as bad as you that I will even think of kidnapping an innocent child. Only the people of Konoha can think of hurting an innocent child like Naruto, not me." Aoto said and this made Hiashi shut up. "So what do you want?" Hiashi asked. "Nothing. You can stay here and enjoy your time here. Read the books that this place has to offer and Hinata will be able to come regularly to see you. Of course, Hinata will not be allowed to speak about you to others and that is non negotiable." Aoto said. "Why are so hell bent in changing the system of our clan?" Hiashi asked as he wanted to know what his motive was. "I am not hell bent. If the opportunity never showed up, I wouldn''t have bothered but since it did, I felt like I should extend a hand towards your clan which is dying at the moment." Aoto replied. "Our clan is all powerful and we don''t need outside interference." Hiashi said. "Really? Tell me one figure from your clan who is as good as Madara Uchiha in the history. Both of your clans had doujutsu, but somehow your clan never had anyone of that caliber. Forget about Madara, your clan couldn''t even produce someone as the same caliber of Fugaku or Shisui or even the young Itachi. In the name of eye powers, you have failed and so did your clan." Aoto said. "Itachi..!?" Hiashi had heard about what kind of genius Itachi was but ho was he greater than them? 164. You and I are not the same "Uh.. Umm.." Hiashi wanted to say the names of his ancestors but none came up with the same caliber as Madara or Hashirama. Actually, none even were on the level of Sarutobi Hiruzen, forget about the greats of Hashirama and Madara. "How do you know about Madara?" Hiashi realized that the name Madara was mentioned as almost all of his story had been wiped out from the records so how could this guy know. "Does it matter how I know. That huge statue in the Valley of the End is enough. But you didn''t answer my question." Aoto said. Hiashi went silent. He was right. It was not about the Uchiha at all, it was about how the Hyuga had been a complete failure. "If we become too powerful we will be wiped out just like that clan." Hiashi mumbled under his breath but Aoto heard it perfectly. "Yes and that is also true. But that doesn''t give you the right to cut off the wings of someone who wants to fly. You think your clan or any other clan will go on for eternity? None of us are eternal and nor your clan. One day it will all become dust so the best you can do is give a level of freedom to the people who support but instead you ostracize them."Aoto said. "But if we grow more, Konoha will come for us just like they went for.." Hiashi stopped and looked at Hinata who was listening to them attentively. "Hinata can you go and read in the library? I know you don''t like hurting people but you have seen Naruto using special techniques. It is all written in the books here and you can learn them." Aoto said. Hinata knew that this was a conversation she wasn''t allowed to listen but she was also afraid that Aoto would do something bad to his father. Aoto could see her concerns and thus said. "Hinata, I know that I have forcefully kidnapped your dad, but what I am doing right now is something you would do it anyways in the future. Don''t believe your father, you would be an excellent shinobi when the time comes. You don''t hurt people who are close to you and that is how it should be. I am sure that when the time comes and someone hurts someone close to you, you would act just as ferocious like everyone else. Believe in yourself and carry on your hard work. You don''t need to prove to others. You need to prove yourself that you worked hard." This made both Hiashi and Hinata eyes wide open. Hinata actually blushed a bit when she heard it and Hiashi was embarrassed about how Aoto, someone who was younger to him, just made him look like a villain. Did his daughter really have the fortitude? Is his words true? Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Hinata contemplated a bit and walked away, giving both Aoto and Hiashi space. "So you think your situation like the Uchiha?" Aoto said. Hiashi just nodded and by now he wasn''t surprised that Aoto knew so much. "You people just fear the strong and nothing more. You all are idiots and so was the second hokage and the current third hokage." Aoto said. Hiashi gulped as only now he understood who callous and courageous Aoto was for calling out second and third hokage as stupid. "But they are responsible for the Kyubi attack or at least someone was responsible for that attack. I was there when the attack started and I saw the sharingan control on the Kyuubi." Hiashi said as he validated why they were right to fear the Uchiha. "Yes.. So one person was responsible for the attack. Does it mean everyone in the clan should be persecuted. Suppose your brother becomes rogue, so should I kill your whole clan?" Aoto asked. This made Hiashi shut up because just like last time he didn''t have answer to it. "Stop justifying your actions just based on the Kyuubi attack. I lost my parents in that attack but I didn''t cry victim and justify my evil actions based on that. You people are just hateful and have no compassion." Aoto said and this time it was a sharp tone. Hiashi hung his head in shame. Aoto was right. He did lose his parents but he still adopted Naruto and from the looks of it he was treated quite well. "Then what do you want from me?" Hiashi asked. "Nothing, be here for sometime until I see the greenlight. You have books here, read them and maybe learn. The books here will make your realize how little you know of the world. Maybe that will help you change." Aoto said as he got up and walked away. He called Hinata and asked her to be with her father and also told her that she needed to be careful now and she should always act as if Hizashi was her father. Even Neji mustn''t know of what was going on. Hinata nodded as she also got the hint. Her father also explained her the situation and said she could visit him. This made Hianta happy and they talked a lot. Up until midnight when she slept. "You love your daughter, don''t you?" A voice said when Hiashi was using his robe to cover Hinata so that she didn''t feel cold. Hiashi turned around and saw a young girl with metallic blue eyes and black hair looking at the duo with curiosity. "You are?" "I am Chomei.. And just like you I have been trapped here. Longer than you actually." The girl said. Hiashi was trying hard to remember who this girl was in Konoha but he couldn''t remember the face. That was acceptable as Konoha was huge and it was impossible to know everyone. "Umm.. I am sorry.. I guess we both are on the same now." Hiashi said. "No we are not the same. I am stronger than you. But I do want to leave this place and experience freedom if I can." Chomei replied as she had a gleam in her eyes. 165. You should have told me this "If you are stronger than me, then why didn''t you escape?" Hiashi was irritated, seeing how haughty this woman was and how she was ridiculing him, even though he guessed she too, like him, was a prisoner. "You really are ignorant," Chomei said. "What?" "Do you even know what this place is and what the books are? Read them. And then you will know how little you know of the world, the universe, and of course the multiverse," Chomei explained. "Universe? Multiverse? What the hell are you talking about?" Hiashi was completely confused. Chomei didn''t bother to explain and just called up a book which floated towards Hiashi. He had been seeing the floating books for quite some time, so for the first time, he used his byakugan to see how the chakra was used to make the books float. When he saw no chakra lines or the presence of chakra, he was taken aback. The book floated near him and out of curiosity, he started reading it. Of course, he didn''t believe a single word being written in the book. Unlike others, he hadn''t seen the magic for himself, so he found it ridiculous. Chomei could see his disbelief, so she didn''t care and walked away before telling him that he could read the books around the library since the ''library'' had allowed him to do so. Hiashi wanted to talk more about escaping, but she didn''t want to listen to him at all. Meanwhile, Hinata, after coming out of the room, roamed around and read some books. Of course, like her father at first, she didn''t want to believe, but then she remembered how Naruto was able to save him and also use those round and square lights to protect her. She wanted to know more, but she found herself feeling sleepy. It was Aoto who came and told her that she should leave and could come back tomorrow if she wanted to meet her father. Hinata, being a good girl, nodded, and after leaving the library, she saw her uncle sitting with a blank look on his face. Seeing Hinata, he bowed down again and asked for forgiveness. She, of course, said she understood what was going on and that if he hadn''t done what he had done, her brother Neji would have lost his father. "Uncle, you should speak to Neji-nisan about it," Hinata said as they made their way home. "No. He is working hard in mourning for my death. Let him suffer a bit, for a year or so, and then I will tell him," Hizashi said. Hinata felt bad for her brother, but she didn''t want to say more. "Did you meet your father?" Hizashi asked. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Yes, Father is doing fine," Hinata said. "Good... Good," Hizashi said as he sighed in relief. He had been living with guilt, thinking his brother was suffering. Knowing from his own daughter that his brother was fine made his burden a little lighter. Hinata wanted to talk about the library, but somehow, the moment that thought came to her mind, something in her forbade her to do so. She felt like it was some kind of seal. But then again, she had been warned of this. With many thoughts in her mind she went home and because it was a tiring day, it didn''t take long for her to fall asleep.
The next day after class, she came straight to Aoto''s place and asked if she could meet her father. "Of course, go in." Aoto said and sent her to the library. Naruto had already returned and was practicing himself. Hinata at first went to meet with her father who was looking at Naruto practicing with the woman he had met before. And the more he saw, the more he was confused. He could see that these two had chakra. Though the chakra lines in Chomei was quite obscure, he could see a bit of it, but Naruto definitely had massive amount of chakra and also a foreign one, which was probably Kyuubi. But why the hell was he able to do the techniques he was using while fighting the woman. The woman seemed to be toying with Naruto. "Chomei-san, you are way too good." Naruto said while the whip in his hand slowly vanished away. "I am older and more powerful than you. Of course I am better than you." Chomei replied. Naruto just laughed and then saw Hinata was here. "Ah, Hinata. Are you here to study with us?" Naruto said. "Yes.. Yes... Naruto-kun." Hinata finding hard to hide his shyness said. Her face cheeks were red as she replied. Hiashi noticed it but didn''t say anything. He was more mesmerized by what he saw. Chomei and Naruto did something, which he only read but refused to admit the truth. But now seeing in reality made him doubt everything. Though he was curious he wanted to spend more time with Hinata and walked around the library. Both of them couldn''t stop each other and thus started reading books that came up and the more they read, the more they were surprised and also horrified. Dimensions. Magic. Lords of Dimensions. Gods. Devils. The library just opened a new world for them and they had just taken a peek at it.
Two weeks had gone by since Hinata had started showing up regularly. Unlike Eldritch magic, Hinata showed an acute talent for celestial magic. Yes, celestial magic. The magic that had evaded everyone present. "System what is going on?" [ Hinata Hyuga has a pretty good talent when it comes to celestial magic. ] "Is that it? None of us has the talent for celestial magic?" [ Host and Naruto Uzumaki has the talent for celestial magic. ] "What? Me and Naruto? How come we don''t know." [ Host, any evolvable talent belong to the highest category of talent which is celestial magic. Naruto Uzumaki hasn''t shown such talent as of yet because his talent is master level so he is good in Eldtrich too. And another reason him being an idiot. ] "Fuck. What exactly is celestial magic." [ Celestial magic encompasses everything. Like chaos magic, it can also create anything out of nothing but it has it''s limitations as someone who has deeply learnt chaos magic tends to go crazy. Celestial Magic doesn''t have those drawback. ] 166. Embarrassment after embracement Unlike Naruto, Hinata only had high level talent but she was quite good. It was still very much mind boggling for Aoto of how Naruto having a higher talent than Hinata wasn''t able to get to celestial magic and also very slow to start on Eldritch magic. The reason how Aoto and others knew that Hinata knew Celestial magic was because when she was trying to conjure mandalas on the second week, the mandalas came up in white color. At first everyone was shocked but they didn''t mind. The colors of the mandalas wasn''t really important as it could be any color. But when Shikuro struck him with his whip which was basic magic, the whip bounced back and it vanished away by itself. This took everyone by surprise. Especially Chomei. Chomei by now was the most knowledgeable one, which was both surprising and not. After she turned herself into a girl/woman, she went deep into reading and knowing stuff around. She quickly turned out to be the ''grandma'' of the group and would be the annoying one. She would call out everyone for their wrong magic and Naruto would of course get the burnt of it. Everyone had collectively acknowledged though never publicly admitted that Naruto was the idiot, but it was Chomei who had said "Watch very closely. Naruto will be the better sorcerer among all of us. So get down the high horse." Of course she had said that when Naruto wasn''t around. Everyone was taken aback and almost didn''t believe her. But Aoto said. "Among us, he does have the highest talent." From then on Chomei was the official grandma of the library and she was the one who pointed that Hinata might have Celestial magic. Her father was surprised and then ashamed. He had by now started learning magic and the more he learned, the more he understood why Aoto had once said how little he knew of the universe and he multiverse. Their problems now looked infinitely small when everything was taken into account. And knowing that his daughter had the talent for the magic everyone was craving for made him proud. He promised himself to be a better father. After Aoto came to know that Hinata had the celestial talent she was asked to study more of the celestial magic and Naruto was also forced to go through Celestial Magic. Of course Naruto cried about it as he thought it would be a greater homework but Aoto wouldn''t listen to his cries. That was how the last few weeks went after Hinata started the training, Asuma showed up one day at the shop. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Aoto.. I have talked with the Hokage.. You will be provided the documents and the seal of Hokage too." "Really? That is so good. Thank you Asuma-san." Aoto was excited. The seal of approval meant that he finally had he green light to go outside Konoha with a treaty of cooperation with a village that belonged to the five powerful nations. And the village Aoto asked for was the Village hidden in the Rocks. Iwagakure. After much thought and push, Aoto chose this village as the next target and also because it was the mission of the system for the next upgrade. He needed to have a proper business settlement with one of the five villages and then only he could wish for an upgrade to the shop. He had asked to be the ambassador of Konoha and be the one with the good will. Though the one with Kumogakure turned to be a disaster and a set back, it didn''t mean that Konoha wouldn''t try. Today finally Hokage had given the approval. "Mention not. Hokage-sama will send Guy as the bodyguard this time if its okay with you." Asuma said. Aoto nodded as he himself would take a small team of his own. Last time Corazon and John went, and this time Shikuro, Kisuke and Corazon was chosen. Kisuke because he was handling the finances and the manager of the shop, while Aoto would be the ambassador. "Yes. It is fine." Aoto talked with Asuma a bit more and spoke of the current situation of Konoha. They talked of their Palicko and how everything was better with the summon of his around. Aoto even teased him about Kurenai as he had seen him with her multiple times now and Asuma just replied that they were taking it slow.
A few days later, Guy showed up with his iconic green suit and strapped up bag on his back. He looked animated to say the least. "Aoto-kun.. The youth burns through the veins. I hope you are ready." "Uh.. Guy-san, you don''t have to be so worked up. The role this time is not to fight but sign a treaty between us and Iwagakure." "I know but if anything goes wrong, I and you will take care of it." Guy said. As Aoto was talking outside the shop, Kisuke, Corazon and Shikuro. Torune wanted to come but was instantly shut down by Shikuro. And this made Naruto too shut his mouth about going with Aoto seeing how Shikuro made Torune silent. "I will take care of them." Chomei had said. After everyone got ready and introduced each other, everyone soon set off for the grand journey again. They were met again with vast stretch of forest and after moving for a few kilometers, Aoto rotated his hand and a portal opened. Guy unlike last time was curious. Hiruzen actually wanted Kakashi to go with the team but he was in an important mission and couldn''t be called back, and since only Guy had been with Aoto last time, he could only chose him. He didn''t have much hopes from Guy but asked him if he could get anything from the techniques Aoto had used last time. Shikuro and others didn''t seem to be bothered by what Aoto had done and just walked straight in and at the end Guy followed them. Coming out, Shikuro instantly brought out the map. They had come close to the border of Iron again. Its border was the land of Waterfalls and then beside that was the Land of Earth. The Land of Earth had no borders with land of Fire and had to cross through the land of Grass to reach the either side. 167. The mad one Unlike their previous passage through the borders of Iron and Waterfalls, this time it was a pleasant journey. Corazon remained fully alert, anticipating a potential attack. He had made significant progress in his Observation Haki since their last encounter, expanding its range. Another vigilant presence was Shikuro himself, who unexpectedly released a swarm of enchanting butterflies. Crafted from magic, these butterflies served as scouts for the surroundings. Guy, taken aback by their beauty, made a comment that turned heads. "So these are your beetles. They look beautiful," Guy remarked. "Beetles? They''re butterflies," Corazon corrected. He couldn''t help but wonder how this man had even attained the rank of Jonin, recalling his previous confusion regarding Neji and other members of the Hyuga clan. Corazon offered a brief explanation, noting the distinctions. "In reports, it''s mentioned that Shikuro Aburame controls beetles," Guy said, seeking clarification. "That doesn''t mean I can only control them and nothing else," Shikuro replied, omitting the fact that these butterflies weren''t real, but rather a product of his transformation magic applied to his own beetles. As they moved forward, the butterflies fluttered around, creating a serene atmosphere. Given the lengthy journey ahead, everyone took their time in transit. To alleviate his boredom, Guy proposed a sparring match with Corazon, and it quickly became apparent that Corazon possessed formidable strength, much like Guy. This revelation excited Guy, who expressed interest in training with Corazon upon their return to Konoha. After several days of travel, they finally arrived in the Land of Grass, a proxy territory between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire. This region held significance for Konoha, as it was where the infamous Kanabi Bridge incident, involving Obito''s supposed demise, had occurred. Since the bridge had already been destroyed, they now stood on the Tenchi Bridge, which held its own historical significance. The bridge was narrow and suspended, swaying with their movement. It sat at a considerable height, which added an extra element of challenge to their crossing. After successfully traversing the bridge, they entered territory that did not belong to Konoha. Shikuro released even more butterflies to further secure their surroundings as they continued their journey. They soon arrived at a small village, which provided all the amenities a traveler could hope for. Here, they had the opportunity to unwind, including a visit to an onsen. The soothing waters helped wash away the fatigue from their arduous trek. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. While paying for the onsen facility, Aoto momentarily stiffened upon noticing a sign on the wall behind the receptionist. Kisuke, standing nearby, picked up on this subtle reaction. Once they were out of the onsen, Kisuke inquired about the sign. "What''s the significance of that sign?" he asked. "You noticed?" Aoto was taken aback that Kisuke had picked up on his slight flinch. "Well, I am a businessman, so naturally, I notice things about customers... hahaha," Kisuke chuckled. "We might be approached or ambushed by certain individuals soon, or it might not happen at all," Aoto explained. His words shifted Kisuke''s demeanor from a smiling and laughing one to a more serious expression. "What does that sign even mean?" Kisuke knew for certain that Aoto''s words were tied to that sign. "Just some people using religion as a guise to justify their cruelty," Aoto clarified. "They are powerful?" Kisuke casually asked. "No. They are just rogues who wants to kill people but their priest is a bit off." Aoto said. "Oh then I want to meet this priest if you are seeing he is a bit out of the circle." Kisuke said and laughed. After proper rest, they moved again and just when they reached the exit of the village they head on man screaming at the top of lungs. "Repent.. Repent.. For Lord Jashin is here.. Repent for him and maybe you will achieve salvation.. Because he is our Lord Savior.. Only he can fulfil our desires. He will make us free.. Come .. Hear his Lord''s wishes." Some people around were quite intrigued and went forward to listen. Kisuke again saw the sign he had seen on the onsen on the robe of this person, and somehow he could sense that the robed man eyed them for a second. Kisuke knew what Aoto said might be right. They might be ambushed. Aoto looked at the robed person and didn''t bother. Kisuke indicated Shikuro what he would have to do. Shikuro was confused but trusted Kisuke. He sent two butterflies to keep an eye on the robed person. The whole team went out of the village and after one hour of walking a butterfly came and sat at the shoulder of Shikuro. The butterfly danced around Shikuro a bit and everyone around waited for an answer. Of course, Guy too by now knew that the butterfly might have relayed something. "That priest we saw before has messaged some of his friends and some rogue people are coming for us." Shikuro said. "People? Not ninjas?" Corazon asked. Shikuro shook his head meaning they were just ordinary people and not ninjas. "So let''s give them a warm welcome." Aoto said with a smile and continued on his journey followed by others. They didn''t seem to care and after minutes the butterfly sent the information, rustles were heard from the surrounding. Unlike the land of fire, this land here wasn''t filled with trees, but very tall grass. Grass and Bamboo. They were so tall that it looked like they were in some kind of unique forest so the movement around was more loud than ever. And these people weren''t ninjas at all, thus they didn''t have any special movement to make it quieter. With moments they were surrounded by a group of men who basically looked like zombies. They had huge eye bags under their eyes, looked malnourished and each one had different weapons on their hands. There was nothing but cruelty in their eyes and seemed like they were here for some kind of vengeance or maybe freedom. 168. Repent.. Lord Jashin is here But one thing was consistent: they had come here for Aoto''s team. "What do you guys want?" Aoto demanded, his voice echoing through the tense air. "You''re quite far from home," the supposed leader, visibly uneasy, replied. "A home is meant for safety, not for being caged forever," Aoto retorted with heavy sarcasm. The leader caught the insinuation, clenching his teeth and fists in frustration, yet refraining from launching an attack. "Lord Jashin has requested your assistance and sacrifice," the leader informed them. "Then Lord Jashin should decide first whether he wants help or a sacrifice," Aoto shot back. "You dare mock Lord Jashin!" Another voice, not from the leader, erupted. Before he could give further orders, he lunged at Aoto. But in an instant, Corazon delivered a powerful uppercut, halting the assailant''s advance. "Silent." A translucent blue dome enveloped the entire vicinity within moments. "What is this?" One of the followers of Jashin puzzled over the strange occurrence. Aoto and his team understood what it was, though Guy was left bewildered. He did notice, however, that all external sounds were suddenly muted. Aoto''s team engaged in hand-to-hand combat, refraining from using ninjutsu or magic. Although their adversaries wielded weapons, none of them employed these implements, except for Kisuke, who deftly wielded his "standing stick" in combat. Kisuke''s fighting style captivated Guy. He adeptly used the opponents'' momentum against them, inflicting maximum damage with minimal effort. In a matter of seconds, the skirmish was over. Corazon dispelled the Silent dome, restoring normal sound transmission. "What kind of ninjutsu was that?" Guy inquired, genuinely curious about Corazon''s technique. Corazon proceeded to explain how his technique had the ability to completely suppress sound both from inside and outside the affected area. Guy was taken aback by this revelation but didn''t press further. After subduing the attackers, Aoto stepped forward, gripping the leader by his collar, and demanded, "Now, tell me what you truly want." Despite his battered appearance, the man looked at Aoto with red eyes and chuckled. Aoto allowed him a moment to laugh before the man finally spoke. "Lord Jashin demands your sacrifice. That''s all you need to know." The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "So you''re stalling for time. I wonder who''s on their way," Kisuke nonchalantly remarked from the back, causing the man to tense up, but he said nothing more. "Another ambush?" Guy deduced the situation. "Seems like it," Aoto confirmed. "Someone''s approaching from the northwest, and he''s fast," Shikuro reported, a small butterfly projection appearing near him briefly before vanishing. "He seems quite formidable and swift," Corazon added, his Observation Haki confirming the assessment. "Just one person?" Aoto sought clarification. "Yes," Corazon affirmed. "I may know who he is," Aoto murmured. They turned their attention in the direction Shikuro indicated, and a man materialized before them. He was well-built, with sleekly styled gray hair. However, what truly caught their attention was the weapon he carried¡ªa scythe with three sinisterly dark-red blades all facing the same direction. Its handle was connected to a long wire. This man was none other than the fanatical Hidan. "Ah... I made it in time. I thought I''d be late. Do you have any idea how much I''d have to run if you all decided to flee?" Hidan exclaimed with evident relief. "We... We''ve brought Hidan-sama as you instructed... Under the will of Lord Jashin," one of the prone men on the ground informed him. "Yes... Yes... You did... Let me grant you your freedom," Hidan said, raising his scythe and swiftly cleaving through the man who lay helpless on the ground. The blades struck his torso, snuffing out his life in an instant, blood splattering in all directions. Everyone on Aoto''s team, except Aoto himself, was stunned by this brutal act. They had never witnessed a person take the life of their own comrade. Kisuke had seen such atrocities before, but he never anticipated that such twisted individuals existed even in this world. What was even more chilling was that none of the other battered men seemed shocked or afraid of what had just transpired. "Did you come here following orders, or of your own accord?" Aoto calmly asked, undeterred by Hidan''s display. Hidan looked up at Aoto, studying him intently before breaking into a smile. "I relish the terror on people''s faces just before they meet their end, but you... you don''t seem to fear death at all. I like that," Hidan remarked. "You haven''t answered my question. Did you come here on orders or of your own volition?" Aoto pressed. "Don''t be an idiot. I am the great Lord Hidan. I don''t take orders from anyone," Hidan snapped, visibly irritated that Aoto remained unfazed. Aoto believed him, as Hidan wasn''t wearing the distinctive Akatsuki cloak, indicating he had likely come of his own accord. "You''ve traveled quite a distance to hunt us down. I doubt your Lord Jashin is particularly selective about where his sacrifices come from, am I right?" Aoto inquired. "You talk too much. But since it''s your day of reckoning, allow me to grant your final wishes. Lord Jashin has commanded me to strike down as many of Konoha''s people as possible, and it was only recently that I received that directive. Now, as his devoted servant, it''s my duty to spread his word and follow his path." "Cool. Now that the things have been revealed, everyone... Take him down. This guy doesn''t know any ninjutsu and only strong by his body. He is an immortal and thus can''t be killed even if you hack him to a thousand pieces, but immortality doesn''t mean he has regeneration, so a lost limb means a lost one for him. The only great thing about his technique is that once he tastes the blood of his opponent, he can inflict death upon him. Basically if he stabs himself after tasting the blood of his opponent, the opponent will be inflicted the same pain. That scythe is odd because it was designed to draw blood and let him taste. Bring him down from far and he is a dead meat." 169. New players in town The more Aoto talked the more the face of Hidan got ugly. He had never met anyone who knew of his technique. Those who came to know of it were dead to begin with so the technique never got spread. This is the first time someone made him feel naked. And he felt aggrieved and angry hearing how concisely Aoto was able to know about him and his weakness. "You bastard. Who the fuck are you?" Hidan shouted. One could easily see the veins on his forehead on the backdrop of his pale skin. "I thought you knew of us since you ambushed us." Aoto said. While Hidan and Aoto were talking, the others were taken aback by the new information that Aoto just delivered. Immortality? Tasting blood to inflict death upon others? How broken was this man? But then again, his weaknesses were apparent if one knew of this. Hidan didn''t waste any more time on them and threw the scythe at Aoto out of anger and fury. As the scythe came near Aoto, there was a loud clink sound. It was Corazon who had just stopped the blade with his bare hands. "Hahahaha.. What an idiot.. Catching blade with barehand." Hidan laughed out loud. He then pulled the scythe and this was where he got the shock of his life. He couldn''t pull the blade at all. The blade was sharp so it should just slice through flesh while being coated with blood. But there was none. He couldn''t even move the scythe, and no form of blood could be seen. "What is this? .. What.. What are you made of?" Hidan was horrified when he saw some catching the blades and not suffering any consequences. But after a second he let go of the blade. There were no blood marks or scars on the hands of Corazon. "You have progressed well in Haki." Aoto said. "Not enough.. I should have been able to break the blade but I can''t maintain it for a long time." Corazon said and a bit embarrassed. Aoto also sighed, thinking about how Luffy was able to make great strides in Haki very fast. Hidan didn''t pay attention and because he didn''t have Kakuzu around to calm and let his intrusive thoughts take precedence, he attacked again. This time Corazon didn''t need to act as Aoto lifted his and made a serpahim shield that blocked the attack. Hidan lunged forward, his movements swift and brutal. His blade clashed against the mystical shields, sending sparks of orange colored energy cascading in all directions. Aoto responded in kind, wielding the arcane forces with finesse and precision. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Hidan''s strikes were relentless, but Aoto defended himself well. Corazon and Guy wanted to go and help him but Kisuke stopped them. "See carefully, Aoto is enjoying. Let him face his opponent." After a bout of attacks, Hidan gasped for air. By this time, one of the blades in the scythe had been broken and Hidan looked like someone who had seen a ghost. He had fought against ninjas before so he knew what kind of tricks were employed. He had even faced genjutsu before, but he had come out victorious at the end. The genjutsu were never at the level of Itachi''s so it was useless to him. But the techniques Aoto employed were something he had never seen before. Defending with the weird shaped shields, conjuring whips made of light, huge roots coming out of the ground to hold him down and even a couple of hands coming from behind to knock him down. There were bruises all over him. "What the fuck are you?" Hidan laughed manically when he asked that. He had been vying for the blood of this guy but there was nothing to cheer for uptil this point. "I should be the one asking this question to you." Aoto got angry in return and question him. Aoto was really curious about the whole thing of Hidan, but he never got to know. Maybe this time he would get to know about it. Hidan smiled at Aoto. In response, Aoto made a small hand sign and in the next moment, a red colored band came out of the hands. The red colored bright and glowing rope was thick and seemed to be boiling with magma, and within seconds the ropes flew out and caught the wrists of Hidan who was trying to break away. Hidan might not have been able to land a proper bruise or hit on Aoto but that didn''t mean he was a nobody. In fact, Aoto was actually scared of him. This guy fought head to head against Asuma and come out killing him, even after the fact that Shikamaru was helping him at the time. Though Hidan''s technique played a huge part in the win, and they didn''t know that he was an immortal to begin with, it still couldn''t be denied that Hidan won at the end. In fact, Aoto was expecting to lose and Kisuke coming forward to help him. But this Hidan was quite young and he seemed to be a little inexperienced. But even then he was being careful and used bands of Cyttorak to pull him down. These bands were very powerful and Doctor Strange had used them in the fight against Thanos so one could guess how powerful these bands were. Hidan cried out in pain as the bands were actually very hot and hurt him. His pain tolerance was actually very high but these were magical bands to begin with and one would need infinity stones in order to nullify the pain that actually went beyond hurting mortal flesh of his. "What the fuck are you? I will cut you up you bastards. I will feed your hands, your torso, your legs to Lord Jashin, only then I can rest in peace. Hahahahah.." Hidan was slowly losing himself as he screamed more profanities. Aoto held him and was ready to just end this guy here since he would be a menace later but suddenly Kisuke, Corazon and Shikuro looked in one direction particularly. 170. One gone! 4 to go "What is it?" Aoto inquired while still restraining Hidan, who glared at them with a mix of anger and shame. "There is someone approaching, and he''s remarkably swift," Shikuro declared as a transparent butterfly vanished from his shoulder. Corazon and Kisuke appeared to have sensed the intruder. Aoto knew this must be serious, prompting him to form additional hand signs that summoned giant roots from the ground, securely restraining him. The roots proved thick and robust enough to hold him firmly, allowing Aoto to promptly disarm him. There was no necessity for him to clutch onto his weapon. As he did so, Shikuro and Corazon moved forward, adopting defensive stances, while Kisuke held his ground, now wearing a furrowed brow. After a minute of tense anticipation, the bushes rustled, and out stepped a man garbed in a long black cloak adorned with crimson clouds. The instant Aoto laid eyes on the cloak and the man, he instantly recognized him. The cloaked figure scrutinized Hidan and his bound state. He was momentarily taken aback, then shifted his gaze to Aoto''s team. After his eyes swept over each member, he fixed his gaze on Aoto and asked, "Are you the grandson of the 1st Hokage?" "Huh?" "What?" Even Aoto was taken aback by the man''s words. But then, it dawned on him. This man was the only one among their entire group who had claimed to have met the 1st Hokage. Observing Hidan, ensnared by wooden roots, from a different perspective, he appeared to possess the ability of wood release. Aoto was tempted to chuckle at how much this man had read into things. "What if I were? What if I''m not? I don''t think that matters now, does it?" Aoto responded. He had no intention of divulging information to this man. He was formidable both intellectually and physically, and Aoto knew he wouldn''t fare well against him directly. Of course, this man was Kakuzu, the future partner of Hidan. "Hahaha..." Kakuzu emitted a decidedly forced laugh, then said, "I didn''t properly introduce myself. I am Kakuzu, a member of the Akatsuki organization. I am here to..." Before Kakuzu could even finish his sentence, Aoto interjected. "I have no interest in joining any organization whatsoever. This is my team, and I am in the process of building my own business empire." Aoto outright rejected him. Joining Akatsuki? What a preposterous notion. Who would want to heed the words of a mere sycophant? The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "You haven''t even heard about what I wanted to say," Kakuzu said, his tone tinged with regret. "And I''ve already explained why I''m not interested in joining anyone. Now, please, be on your way. As you can see, we''re occupied with something here," Aoto stated. "I''m sorry, but I can''t comply. I''m specifically here for this individual, and you, Aoto Yamazaki, just happened to cross my path," Kakuzu asserted. His words left no room for negotiation. It was a clear directive: ''Step aside.'' That was the message he conveyed. "And what if we don''t step aside?" Aoto asked. "Then I guess you and your friends will be buried here. Though the higher up in the organization had told us to invite you if we ever meet you but since you have already rejected, you are of no use to me. And your soul is too important to be left away. You will fit right up my alley." Kakuzu said. With that he suddenly lunged forward without any indication that he would attack. His hands turned black but before he could come close to Aoto, he stopped. He stopped because a sword had been inserted in his chest. He looked down only to see a man standing up to him with the walking stick in his hand. Only the walking stick turned out to be a slim sword that had been inserted on his chest. It was Kisuke who had attacked and he attacked so fast that Kakuzu didn''t even see how he moved. His eyes wasn''t on Kisuke to begin with and only on Shikuro and Corazon as he was ready to face them and then kidnap Aoto. Akatsuke was interested in Aoto for his brain, but more than that Kakuzu was more interested in Aoto because he was rich. Kakuzu was thanking his lucky charm when he met Aoto when he was looking for Hidan and he just couldn''t let this chance slip by to get rich but little did he know that the first thing he would lose would be one of his hearts. Kisuke after attacking him stepped back. "Why do I hear his heart beating even after being stabbed at the heart." Corazon and Shikuro didn''t let go of the guard just because this guy fell on his knees. "It''s because he has 5 hearts in total. He just lost one but the other 4 still remain with each pertaining to different chakra nature." Aoto said. This made the Kakuzu slowly look up. He was a bit taken aback of how this guy was able to look past his technique quite easily. "Who the fuck are you?" Kakuzu was no more gentleman and asked him directly. "It doesn''t matter. You want Hidan right? Go and take him away. We will not meddle in your affair and you will not meddle in ours. You attacked us and thus lost a heart. I guess that makes it even. But if you want to come after me, you can try and see what kind of hell we will show you." Aoto said. And the in the next moment, blue colored huge beetles came out of the body of Shikuro and approached Kakuzu,. These blue colored beetles were poisonous and could insert their magic venom into the bodies of the opponents, this was not venom per se in the beetles but magic that would destroy from the inside. Corazon meanwhile had Tal mandalas in his hands but his was more vibrant than Aoto''s was. Kakuzu looking at the two of them and at Aoto and Kisuke knew that if he fought, it wouldn''t be an easy fight. 171. He isnt your mission anymore Kakuzu seethed with anger. The small mask over his mouth slipped down, releasing inky tendrils that resembled black noodles. They wriggled out, causing visible disgust in the onlookers. Aoto, however, met this display with a stoic expression. He remained unfazed, fully aware of what Kakuzu was capable of. "Aoto Yamazaki, what in the hell are you?" Kakuzu demanded, his voice taking on a more menacing and spectral tone. All Aoto could wonder was how this man managed to speak without a visible tongue. "I''ve already told you, I''m just an ordinary individual with a business venture in mind. It would be wise for you to depart instead of baring your fangs and summoning your additional hearts; you''re bound to lose," Aoto reiterated. Kakuzu glanced at Hidan, who was ensnared beneath the wooden roots with a root gagging his mouth. Hidan struggled to scream or utter a word, but the obstruction stifled him. Frankly, his attempts to speak made everyone cringe in this highly tense situation, and they all just wanted to subdue him. Finally, Kakuzu gave a reluctant nod, anticipating the shift in circumstances. He had personal motives for seeking Aoto, but now it seemed too troublesome. And for some reason, the man with the hat and walking stick sent shivers down his spine. It was as if this man paid him little heed and somehow looked down on him. It was subtle but discernible. After living for so many years, Kakuzu had encountered a fair share of individuals and could roughly gauge their thoughts. Usually, he disregarded such subtle arrogance because these people lacked the strength to back it up. However, Kisuke had effortlessly destroyed one of his hearts with a single strike. It had been precise and swift, leaving Kakuzu unable to toughen his skin in time to halt the attack. This was what unsettled him. Aoto nodded and proceeded, followed by the others. They kept a watchful eye on Kakuzu, ensuring he didn''t launch a surprise attack. Surprisingly, he refrained and instead moved to free Hidan. The roots were remarkably resilient; even someone as strong as Hidan couldn''t free himself without first hardening his hands to gradually tear them away. Once his mouth was liberated and he could speak, Hidan began to scream. In a fit of rage, Kakuzu proceeded to engulf his throat with tendrils that emerged from his hands. Hidan seethed with fury, but he was powerless.
Aoto and the others continued on in silence for several kilometers before Shikuro raised his hand, signaling that they were in the clear. Kakuzu remained oblivious, as Shikuro had dispatched a magical butterfly that left an imprint on Kakuzu''s back. There was no chakra fluctuation, so Kakuzu remained unaware. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "He didn''t pursue us?" Corazon inquired, taking a drag from his cigarette. "No. He went in the opposite direction with Hidan," Shikuro replied, mirroring the same action with Hidan. "Well, he''s certainly cautious," Aoto acknowledged. It was to be expected, considering Kakuzu was a man who had evaded Hashirama. Whether it was a bluff or not, if he had truly escaped from Hashirama, it indicated a shrewd mind. "Why did you lay bare our secrets for him to hear?" Corazon was visibly irritated. Aoto''s decision to reveal so much and then spare them showed a significant lapse in judgment, one that could be perilous in the future. In plain terms, it was just plain foolish. "Killing them would draw the attention of the organization backing them. We''re already entangled in business with them, enriching their organization in the process. They''ve been eager to recruit me for a long time, and this was an opportunity to demonstrate how deeply entrenched we are here. I don''t want to incite a conflict with them, at least not now," Aoto explained. "Conflict? It''s just an organization. How could it lead to a conflict?" Shikuro scoffed. "It''s because their leader possesses the Rinnegan," Aoto revealed. "Those eyes? It''s them," Shikuro suddenly grasped who Aoto was referring to¡ªthe man in the Hidden Rain village. He hadn''t anticipated that the head of this organization was the same person. That meant this organization had ties to Madara. "So, you spoke so much that they now fear you," Kisuke remarked. "Something along those lines," Aoto confirmed. "But that''s a massive gamble. What if the organization becomes even more afraid and decides to attack us?" Corazon voiced his concern. "They can try, but they''ll fail. They lack the manpower to handle us if they come for us. Their primary objective isn''t to settle a personal grudge but to work towards global peace," Aoto reminded. "Global peace? I can get behind that. This world does need peace," Corazon replied, his optimism shining through. "Corazon, you''ve lived in another world for quite some time, and that world is just as chaotic as this one, if not more so. Do you genuinely believe that true world peace is attainable?" Aoto queried. Corazon fell silent for a moment before saying, "One can dream, at least." "Yes, we can dream. But that doesn''t mean that in the pursuit of world peace, we should inflict more pain upon others. Love is a universal force that can unite people, but remember, hatred can do the same," Aoto reflected. He fell into silence, for he knew he was speaking the truth. They pressed on, ensuring they weren''t being trailed.
Hidan had finally ceased his protests and begrudgingly trailed behind Kakuzu. He wasn''t pleased about following Kakuzu, but something had transpired half an hour ago that made him realize he had no choice. A figure who didn''t seem entirely human had appeared before him. He appeared as if he was a distant mirror image, and that mirrored figure had beaten him soundly. In one day, he had been defeated twice, and both times he''d been toyed with. "I encountered Aoto Yamazaki. He''s formidable and dangerous." It was Pain who had materialized, and upon hearing Kakuzu''s words, he was taken aback. "Explain," Pain demanded. Kakuzu proceeded to recount the events, and the more Pain learned, the more he fell into silence. "He''s no longer your mission. We will handle it," Pain declared before vanishing. 172. War is not in the horizon The conversation that Aoto had, was of course not heard by Guy and he was oblivious. But he didn''t hide everything from Guy. He might be a but slow but he wasn''t an idiot. Someone who could make Madara acknowledge him was never an idiot. At best, Aoto thought of Guy as someone like Luffy. May not be the same ideals and goals but definitely someone who had the same memory capacity. Aot roughly told hm what kind of organization that person had represented. "Why didn''t we go after them and take them down, I believe our youth was strong enough to take them down." Guy said. "Guy-san, they are very powerful and we aren''t powerful enough to handle them." "Why do you say that? We are quite powerful and I can take them down single handedly." Guy said. "We can but you will die at the end." Aoto said. "And opening all the inner gates too wouldn''t do us any good." Those words made Guy stiffen. He didn''t expect that Aoto knew about his technique, and even after then, he didn''t have full faith on him which meant that the organisation might be really powerful. "Guy-san, you can go and tell Hokage about it and I think they already know of this organization and soon they will take proper steps to ensure that the organisation would be brought down easily." Aoto continued. Guy nodded his head and they continued on.
Hidden Rain village The highest tower. "Nagato... Have we incorporated another one in the organization?" Konan asked as he looked at the man who was being struck with chakra rods inserted inside his back. He was worn out and skinny. "Yes. Hidan.. He is kind of an immortal but he isn''t the main problem now. That Aoto Yamazaki is." Nagato said. "What about him? Over the years we have maintained quite the business and it has helped the village a lot." Konan, who was standing beside him, said. "No. He knows about us." Nagato said. "So? He doesn''t know that we are them. He only knows that we are Sand shinobi." Konan was not concerned at all. "No. He knows more about us than he ever says. He knows the immortality and the techniques of Hidan and Kakuzu. One among them was even able to stab and kill one of the hearts of Kakuzu. And the others were able to take down Hidan like he was just another shinobi." Nagato said. This made Kona''s eyes wide. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "That''s impossible. They are both special level jonins and in no way Aoto would be able to take them down." Konan said, not believing at all. "And that is why I am saying that Aoto Yamazaki is more than he is showing. Kakuzu is very sure that Aoto has some kind of organization under him which is very powerful and said that one among them is particularly very powerful. He is an old guy so I trust his judgement." Nagato said. This made Konan silent and tried going through all that happened with Aoto all these years. After their first meet, she had tried buttering him up and even asked him to shift to Sand to establish a better business but he never budged. And the most weird thing was that even after clear evidences that the products were transported to other route instead of Sunagakure, he turned a blind eye. At that time she felt it weird but now it made sense. He had always known about her and even approached her. But why? Why was he ready to trade with them if he knew about them. "Then why is he doing what he is doing?" "Maybe he is business minded and only we can give him what he needs." Nagato had a long pause before answering. "Then we should take him down." Konan proposed. "No. If what Kakuzu said was correct, we might lose a big part of us if we go to war against his oragnsation." Nagato said. "But he can be a potential danger to our plans." Konan replied. "It might be but we need them as much he needs us because of the business we have. So it''s better to maintain the status quo until we think otherwise." Nagato said. Konan felt helpless but there was nothing to be done.
After a couple of days, Aoto''s teams finally enter the Land of Earth and following the signs they finally reached the famous Iwagakure. Konoha had already sent hawks mentioning their arrival so when they came near to Iwagakure, they weren''t stopped and only checked once. Nestled deep within the formidable mountains, Iwagakure was a village that bore the very essence of its name. Towering cliffs, rugged crevices, and ancient boulders formed the natural fortress that cradled this hidden realm. It was a place where the earth itself seemed to breathe, where stone and soil intertwined in a testament to the resilience of the land. The team was checked once again by the guards at the gate and from the looks of it, they didn''t like that someone from Konoha had shown up after the war. But since this was an order from top level they had to follow it. The village''s architecture mirrored the strength of its surroundings. Buildings hewn from massive stones blended seamlessly with the natural formations, creating a harmonious union between human craftsmanship and the raw, unyielding power of the mountains. Narrow alleyways wound their way through the village, carved into the very bedrock, leading to hidden courtyards and secret passages. Silent sentinels of stone stood guard at every corner, their watchful eyes eternally fixed upon the horizon. They bore silent witness to the comings and goings of the villagers, their weathered faces reflecting the passage of countless seasons. Moss and lichen clung to the ancient stones, whispering tales of time gone by. "The place is really well built and has a natural cover." Kisuke commented. "Yeah but of course our Konoha is better." Guy said. Aoto looked around and felt like the village was a bit backward compared to Konoha, probably because he had been modernizing Konoha bit by bit. 173. You need to open up Unlike the Land of Iron, they were taken to the main office immediately after they reached. And Aoto and his team met with the old short man. In all of the present kage''s, Aoto was a great fan of his particle dismantling jutsu, or the dust release. One of the most powerful jutsus Aoto had ever seen wielded by someone that could actually threaten many powerful people. "Welcome to Iwagakure. What can we do for you?" Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, said as he sat in his chair and looked at them with the most kindest face there ever was. And behind stood quite an young man. A man with a long yellow hair like Naruto but more straight that Naruto''s, so much so that it actually hid one of his eyes. Aoto must have been looking at the young man for more than a few seconds, because Onoki noticed Aoto and said. "Ah.. This is Deidara.. He is the youngest Captain of our Explosive corps as you might have heard. And also he is my student." Aoto was speechless for a minute before nodding while Deidara had pride and smirk on his face as Onoki introduced him. The only thing Aoto could think of at this moment was ''Pride hath its fall''. Aoto didn''t talk on this and immediately handed the papers that Hokage had asked him to serve Tsuchikage. Onoki saw the seal of Hokage and proceeded to read it. It was an awkward one minute of silence with shinobis and Aoto''s team looking at each other as if they were expecting the team to pull some shit up. But nothing like that happened and after the silence Onoki said. "The Hokage of yours is quite the man." Onoki said. Aoto hadn''t read the papers so he didn''t know and just had a blank face. "Guessing you haven''t read them since the seal is unbroken. Seems like Hokage has quite the trust on you and you didn''t even open the letter." Onoki said. Aoto just shrugged his shoulder and just smiled. He knew that Onoki wanted to say more and so he did. "After the previous war and the bridge being broken, the hokage has forwarded the proposal for building a new bridge, away from the broken one, in order to facilitate business between the villages. The bridge would be jointly maintained on both sides of the river. Our side maintained by the Iwagakure shinobi and the other side by Konoha shinobi. If any altercation occurs, we will try to mediate as there will be equal number of witnesses in both sides and until the altercations stops the business wouldn''t be followed..." Onoki went on to a ramble about many conditions but what Aoto understood was that ''there would be new bridge being made and there will be security.'' Stolen story; please report. Aoto nodded to an understanding. "You must have come a long way and you need rest. Why don''t you stay here for the night and tomorrow we can discuss the business deals." Onoki said and Aoto happily obliged. He was tired to be honest and needed rest. They went straight to an hotel and everyone took up their rooms after paying them. Later Kisuke showed up on his room and entered. "What do you think?" Aoto asked as he was pretty sure that Kisuke was here to talk something serious. Before talking, he uttered a spell and it immediately made the room sound proof. Aoto was taken aback. "They are listening to us?" "What do you think?" Aoto asked again as he remembered he was in enemy territory. He was a non-combatant so at times he forgets. "Ah. What more can I expect from enemies." Aoto shrugged. "That old short man is more venomous than a snake from what I can feel." Kisuke said. "We will get to meet the real snake soon." Aoto said. Kisuke just smiled and then continued. "He doesn''t trust a single bit and probably making arrangements to infiltrate us and make us their pawns." Kisuke said to which both Aoto and Kisuke laughed because doing that was impossible. "Let them try. I just want to sell things and make my living but politics will get to me anyways." Aoto sighed but at the end he didn''t care. He won''t let them infiltrate his place anyways and Aoto proceeded to talk about the business they would try to establish here. After about half an hour Kisuke left and Aoto had a shower. [ Host, there has been a new revelation. Do you wish to know? ] "Revelation? What revelations?" [ The person named Onoki is of supreme talent of magic ] Aoto, who was chewing on grapes stopped chewing and had his eyes wide open because he couldn''t believe what he was hearing. "You check magical talents of people around me?" [ This function had always been active and it''s the host''s fault that he didn''t ask ] "Fuck!" Aoto cursed under his breath. "So has there been any one with master talent around me." [ Yes, Sasuke Uchiha, Lyanna Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha. ] "Ayy more fuck!" Aoto cursed again. "So why telling me now?" [ It''s because the host has never come across anyone who has supreme level talent ] "But this guy is old. What can he do with the supreme level talent.. " Aoto didn''t speak more because he knew how stupid he sounded. There are so many ways for sorcerers to have a long life. The Ancient One followed quite the weird path for sure, but that was not a single path. Mastering Celestial magic would ensure long life and that was just one of the ways. "What can I do even if I know this? He can never be a member of our fraternity." Aoto said but then he again stopped himself because the 4th great ninja war would open an avenue for the old man to open his heart. Aoto slowly started thinking of how he could manipulate this man to be his employee. Because if he did make him one of them, a Kage + supreme level talent. Madara might have to take him seriously if he learns magic fast. Aoto now was putting his brain in overdrive mode and thinking of how to lure him to his trap and make him fall. 174. Stroke his ego "Why does it matter even if he has a Supreme talent? It''s not like we need him." Aoto said to the system. [ In the next update, this world would need a Sorcerer Supreme for the protection of this world and in order for the host to conduct business beyond this realm ] "Wait, what?" Aoto who just casually asked the question was increasingly alarmed by the words of the system. "What do you mean business beyond the realm?" [ After the update of the shop in the current scenario, the host will get a chance to connect to another world and do business. Since two of the realms will get connected someone needs to step up and protect the realm in the future. Though the host won''t need anyone in the next update as it will be a low level world, but in further updates, the world will definitely need one Sorcerer Supreme ] "Why should I protect the realm and why am I being pushed into world saving agenda? I don''t need any connection to any realm." [ Doesn''t the host want to return to your original world? ] This made Aoto stiffen and his pupils dilated for a second before it relaxed. He could understand the undertone of the system''s words. It wanted to visit realms and the updates were just cover. But why? What was the ultimate purpose? "Honestly speaking.. No. I am quite happy here in this make believe family. I got to see people whom I thought were only in some manga pages and 2D dimension. I miss my family and my world but I like it here too. If I play my cards right, the Kaguya and her brothers and sisters will be taken down. So no, I don''t want to return." Aoto said. This made the system speechless and there was no response. Aoto waited and then said. "I will try to make him Sorcerer Supreme but no guarantees and you won''t open any realm until I say so." Aoto said. [ Acknowledged, host ] If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Later that evening, they had their dinner in the restaurant. The people in the restaurant seeing the Konoha people slid away from them and sat far away. Aoto and others noticed the subtle discrimination, but didn''t mind as long as nobody came after them. But of course, since they were here how could there be no drama. As they were eating, Deidara showed up with some of his colleagues. It seemed like a coincidence as they suddenly showed and Deidara was taken aback seeing them. Deidara was quite young and thus he looked quite immature. This was specially proven by the fact that he had a smirk on his face and the pride he carried, could only be seen on a teenager. He and his colleagues approached Aoto and his team and stood. And without beating around the bush he directly asked. "What kind of ill plot are you planning, Konoha?" This made everyone in the group flinch and Guy almost spoke up but Aoto pulled his green sleeve down and made him calm down. This made Deidara a bit surprised because he expected one of them to get up and argue back but Aoto who seemed to be the leader didn''t even look at him and just continued eating. Deidara didn''t expect the ignore at all and thus his colleague flared up and shouted. "Deidara-sama has asked you a question, you better answer." Everything around was already silent and the team could smell the gunpowder strongly. Aoto who was enjoying the pork variety with the rice, slowly looked up and said "We are weak in front of the great Deidara-sama. How can we even think of going against the Iwagakure. As you have known, due to the Kyuubi attack we lost a lot and even more so with the problem with Kumogakure. So why should we even think of having some kind of ill intentions with Iwagakure. That will be stupid, don''t you think." Aoto said. Shikuro and Guy flinched when Aoto brazenly said that the Konoha was weak but they didn''t say a word. For Guy, the Hokage had already told that Aoto would be the leader as this is a business mission and not some kind of S level mission where he could be the leader. Deidara, who was expecting some kind of verbal expletive didn''t expect to hear those words. "Of.. Of course I am great... Konoha is nothing in front of me.." Deidara said. Aoto could already see the tsundere-vibes that this man was emitting but didn''t speak a word about it. "Yes Deidara-sama is the best genius the Explosive Corps had ever produced." "Deidara-sama was the best." Everyone around him cheered him and stroked his ego. Kisuke seeing how Aoto handled it, couldn''t help but smile. He handled it the best way possible. Kisuke couldn''t help but think that his teachings was helping Aoto. If Aoto knew what Kisuke was thinking, he would have just rolled his eyes. Deidara, was egoistic , but not a moron. He could tell that Aoto just made their position less with those words but in the depth of his minds he knew that those were just lies. It is just, he couldn''t accept it. "If Konoha is so weak, then why don''t we teach you how to fight like real men tomorrow in the arena." Deidara said. This made Aoto look at him in surprise. "Arena?" "Yes. Iwagakure has a Arena for battles in order to hone a shinobi and make their will as hard as a rock. Why? Your Konoha doesn''t have that?" Deidara asked. "We do but we only have it for the exams." Aoto said. "And that is why your Konoha is weak." Deidara said. "But we are just a business group and we don''t have our main fighters with us." Aoto said with a hint of shyness. "Don''t worry. It''s not a challenge and will just teach some basic moves." Deidara said, still being high on his pride. Aot was shy and hesitant, at the end nodded his head, accepting the deal. Of course, all of this was seen by the spies and people around and the so called ''challenge'' was soon spread all over the village in the night. 175. Green and silence, good combination The arena in the village of Iwagakure crackled with an electric tension, as though the very earth beneath it held its breath. Carved from the rugged stone that defined the village, the arena''s surface was a testament to the village''s indomitable spirit. Jagged, yet polished, it bore the marks of countless battles and echoed with the resonance of untamed power. The stands encircling the arena were abuzz with the gathered villagers, their voices an excited hum that reverberated off the rock walls. They leaned forward eagerly, their eyes fixed on the center of the arena where the battle was set to unfold. Whispers flitted through the crowd like wind over the crags, rumors and speculations mingling with hushed conversations. There were few officials present, as this fight wasn''t registered, with only the Tsuchikage in attendance. The old man still retained some black hair and eyebrows, but it was clear that his back was giving him trouble. He moved with a noticeable slowness. It was evident that he must have been under the influence of some substance during his battle with Madara, given his current state. Aoto approached him. "Aoto-kun, I apologize for my student causing this disturbance. I hope you don''t mind," Onoki said as he neared Aoto. "It''s alright. For me, this is merely a business arrangement, and it''s also an opportunity to witness the great shinobi of Iwagakure," Aoto replied. Onoki nodded, but one could sense he was deeply contemplative. He appreciated Deidara''s initiative in starting the fight and drawing them to the arena. However, he wasn''t fond of how Aoto had presented himself, asserting that Konoha was weak and they were primarily businessmen. He couldn''t shake the feeling that if Konoha emerged victorious, it might tarnish his reputation and that of Iwagakure. Yet, he couldn''t help but believe that it was highly unlikely. The only shinobi he was familiar with here was Guy, a formidable force. He''d only heard rumors about Guy''s father, and if the pattern held, his son would be equally formidable, if not more so. But the others were a mystery to him. Still, he had confidence in his student and his shinobi. They wouldn''t be defeated by just anyone. And he had done research on them before too as Aoto was now known in Konoha as an inventor and an entrepreneur. After a brief conversation with Onoki, Aoto excused himself, with the Tsuchikage assuring him that they would discuss business matters in detail after the "lessons." On one side of the arena stood Guy from Konoha, a figure exuding boundless energy and unwavering determination. Clad in his vibrant green jumpsuit, he emanated an aura of indomitable spirit. On the opposing side loomed a shadowy figure, an S-class jonin of Iwagakure, their identity concealed by a mask. As the two warriors assumed their positions, the arena seemed to hold its breath once more, anticipation palpable in the air. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "You are our esteemed guests from Iwagakure, and guests deserve a warm welcome," the masked shinobi remarked with a touch of sarcasm. "In that case, as I, Might Guy, the Green Beast of Konoha, extend my heartfelt gratitude for the welcome," Guy responded genuinely. However, the Iwagakure shinobi took it as a provocation, and with that, the clash commenced. Guy''s movements blurred with speed, his Leaf Whirlwind generating slicing gusts of wind. He twirled around his adversary, launching lightning-fast kicks, each strike honed with pinpoint accuracy. The audience gasped in awe at the sheer velocity and power on display. The Iwagakure jonin countered with unyielding determination, employing their Stone Fist technique to deliver bone-crushing blows. They moved with a measured grace, each strike an exercise in controlled might. The ground quivered beneath their feet, as if the very earth itself bolstered their strength. "The Gate of Opening: Open." "The Gate of Healing: Open." "The Gate of Life: Open." A verdant hue enveloped Guy''s form, and suddenly, he accelerated to a degree that even the spectators couldn''t track his movements. "What?" The shinobi swiftly erected an earth wall before him, anticipating Guy''s vanishing act. He wasn''t sure of the technique Guy employed, but it seemed to involve some form of bodily enhancement, so he needed to shield himself. Little did he know, the rock barrier wouldn''t be enough to save him. The last thing he recalled was the stone wall before him being punched, followed by a powerful kick to his abdomen, likely fracturing a rib or two. What followed next was he losing consciousness and Guy stopping the use of the Inner gates. He looked a bit exhausted but he was fine. He looked back at the team and smiled while putting a thumbs up sign. His teeth reflecting the sun rays falling on him. "Interesting.. He opens the chakra channels that allows him to have higher strength momentarily. Human body is fascinating." Kisuke said. "It''s like the bankai of Kenpachi but that is the extreme version, I believe." Aoto said. "Who is Kenpachi?" Shikuro, who was on the side, asked. "Someone you don''t want to mess with." Ken replied but didn''t explain further. Next it was the time for Corazon. Aoto felt awkward when Corazon left for the arena. It was such an awkward situation. They were here for business and now they were fighting. Aoto had given the green light because if they won, which they knew they would, it would give them a head start in the business deal that was coming up. He was sure that Iwagakure had done research on them and they were genuinely businessmen. Tsuchikage allowed this to happen, probably because how they had lost the 3rd Great Ninja war and it still stung him. "Corazon, give your best." Aoto said. Corazon Slowly got up and entered the arena. What faced him was another shinobi who was of jonin class. The arena around was buzzing in cheers. The previous loss didn''t seem to faze them at all and got behind their own fellow village-man. 176. Not like Gear 5 awakening The following was probably the most uninteresting match among the two matches. Corazon and the jonin class shinobi faced each other. In fact during the fight, many of the people watching the match actually booed to the fight. And the boo was specially directed towards Corazon. It was because of his technique that the boo was strong. The ''silent'' technique of his. As soon as Corazon entered the match, he made the whole arena silent. No bit of sound could enter the arena and neither any sound from inside could go out. It was a like a silent black box. "This .. What kind of technique is this?" The shinobi could see the blue layer of hemisphere surrounding the arena. He was confused but he soon understood what kind of technique it was. "This technique.. I have never heard of this technique.. It is great for reconnaissance. " Onoki mumbled under his breath. He felt a bit of greed for this technique but reigned himself. If it was an apple from the tree, he would grab it but if it didn''t then he wouldn''t bother to try. The more he was dealing with Aoto, the more he felt something was wrong with this guy. And he also felt a weird vibe when he came near Aoto and his gang. Only Kisuke gave him a very dangerous vibe, while the others gave him a feeling that he was looking at a book that he had never opened before in his life. It was a feeling that Onoki couldn''t describe but it definitely intrigued him. Corazon and the fight with the shinobi went on with taijutsu at the beginning and soon the shinobi realized that no matter what kind of kicks and punches he pulled, he would be countered quite easily. "What the hell.. How can he always come up with moves that can counter my attacks." The shinobi was confused. And thus seeing no other way out of it, he used ninjutsu. He used water bullets at him and Corazon easily dodged them. Onoki and others also noticed this weird trend of Corazon and how he was able to easily dodge the attacks. This was unprecedented. Since water bullets didn''t do any damage to Corazon and he had been dodging all attacks, the shinobi went for an attack that wouldn''t allow him to dodge. He tried to box Corazon from all sides. He used rock walls the emerged from the four sides of Corazon. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "Now dodge, bitch!" The shinobi cursed under his breath. He had a smirk in his face as now he could just make long innumerable spikes inside, thus defeating Corazon and making him heavily injured. The last fight was already a loss and they couldn''t afford another one. "Surrender.. If you surrender, I can let you go. Or else the next technique might hurt you." The shinobi shouted. Of course, the people around couldn''t hear anything. This was a little creepy for the shinobi but he didn''t care about it. In all sense, this technique was useless in this arena. There was no response from the open cage as he waited. Seeing no reaction, he did the required hand signs and allowed the spikes just com out of the Earth walls. "You should have accepted the surrender." The shinobi mumbled. But then he heard a small clapping sound coming from high up in the air. He looked up and it was there he saw a scene that couldn''t be explained at all. He saw Corazon, high in the air, jumping, while his feet seemed to stepping on air. With each step there a slight clap sound. It was as if he was making the air some kind of floor. This made the shinobi''s jaws and even then surrounding audience who could only look at the man ''flying'' in the air. "My turn." Corazon said and then said. "Quiet!" The shinobi though was surprised, but was ready to accept because he had seen their own Tsuchikage fly in air, but then a small wave hit him. It was a very calm wave but the moment that near invisible wave hit him, he felt like his body went limp. His thoughts, his actions, his blood flow and everything around him slowed. No, it didn''t slow down, it just ''calmed'' down. the shinobi could feel that even this own thoughts wasn''t functioning. He wanted to think why it was happening but his brain stopped listening to any commands. This sensation only lasted for a few seconds and the next moment, he felt like he was back to normal he saw a bring orange colored rope around his neck while Corazon was holding a knife at his neck. Any movement and he could be stabbed at the neck, forfeiting his life. He looked at Corazon in horror as he realized that it was some kind of technique Corazon must have used to make his actions and thinking stop altogether. "Fuck.. A genjutsu." the shinobi cursed but gave the sign of surrender and thus Corazon stepping out. He lifted the calm technique around. The people around were just silent. They had never expected that their second match too was lost. They lost to businessmen. The people around knew that he wasn''t an official shinobi since he wasn''t carrying a badge of Konoha. So this was a great slap in the face. Nobody cheered or clapped, unlike the last one. There was just dead silence. Onoki who was looking at the whole match had creases in his half white eyebrows. Aoto and others smiled as Corazon came back after bowing to the audience. As he came back, he sat on the chair and almost looked like he collapsed. "This technique takes a toll on me. How does my brother do it so easily." Corazon asked. "Awakening of a devil fruit isn''t easy and it is very draining. I think the more broken the awakening is, the more stamina it takes from the body. Your devil fruit awakening basically silences the things and even thoughts around, so in a way it is broken." 177. Open your eyes Now it was time for the next fight and it was between Aoto and Deidara. Since Aoto was kind of leader of the team, it was kind of given that he would fight the ''genius'' of their village. Though there were other geniuses for sure, but Deidara was the only one who was around the age of Aoto. And more so because it was Deidara who had challenged Aoto. Since there were 5 fights, it was given that the three wins would decide the whole supposed ''tournament''. This was supposed to be teaching a ''lesson'' to Konoha but after losing first two fights it definitely didn''t seem like that. The air crackled with tension as the two adversaries faced each other, sizing up the unknown abilities that each possessed. Daidara smirked, molding clay in his hands. "I hope you like explosions, because I''m about to create a masterpiece!" Unlike the Deidara we know, this Deidara didn''t have two mouths in his hands, as he probably hadn''t run away after stealing the knowledge of kinjutsu yet. The molding he just did was just using hands to make a clay. Even the clay which he used was brown in color with markings on them unlike the known white colored clay with no marks. Aoto smiled at Deidara, and said. "Well, maybe.. But there are other masterpieces too in the world." He raised his hand and in the next moment two identical man appeared near Aoto. These were the clone of Aoto, but unlike the normal clones made out of chakra, this was made out of magic. Onoki who was watching the whole fight was in deep thought now. For some reason when Corazon and Aoto was using those ''techniques'' he could feel some kind of weird familiarity. It was very minimal but it was there. It was as if he learned those techniques, it would be easy for him. As the first move, Daidara hurled a barrage of explosive clay birds at the sorcerer. The birds weren''t that good to look at though. The sorcerer responded with a swift wave of his hand, creating a shimmering mystical shield that deflected the explosions harmlessly. All his clones did the same. "Nice try, but your primitive art won''t work against the mystic forces I command," Aoto taunted. Daidara grinned, forming a massive clay golem. "Let''s see how you handle this! Explosive Style: Artillery Golem!" The clay golem charged at Aoto, causing the ground to quake with each step. Aoto focused his energies, conjuring a swirling vortex of magical force. With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a Mystic Cyclone that tore through the golem, dispersing it into harmless clay fragments. The Cyclone seemed to have nothing but air in it, but at the end it was able to disperse and also make the clay non explosive as he had used a bit of lightning in the cyclone. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "My turn," Aoto said and made a run at Deidara. All the other clones did the same. They approached Deidara at a fast speed, and Deidara, who had just lost to the cyclone attack, wasn''t ready to just receive the attack with his face down. Aoto kicked him, and Deidara matched his kick, only to see his feet passing through the body of Aoto, and then vanishing. It was an illusion clone. Next, another clone appeared in front of Deidara, and that too turned out to be an illusion. With the last one going for the punch. "What a clich¨¦ attack. You need more experience," Deidara said, and he went for the upper hook, but was even more surprised that this attack of his was also an illusion. "What?!" And the next moment, Aoto appeared from behind and proceeded to attack his knee to make him fall, but Deidara seemed to have expected that kind of attack and lunged forward away from Aoto to get away. He turned midway, and he already had a smile in his voice. But just when Deidara landed, two Aotos suddenly appeared near him and held both of his hands from two sides. "What?" Deidara didn''t expect that. All this time, after three consecutive attacks, he thought that the clones were just an illusion, and this was the first time Deidara saw actual physical manifestations. And Aoto''s clones were able to pin him down while making his hands immovable with a useful hakuda move. Thanks, Kisuke! *Wink* *Wink* "That''s one tricky move you have there, trickster," Deidara said through gritted teeth. "The whole charade of being a ninja means one has to trick the other person, other platoon, or other village to death, isn''t that right?" Aoto said. "Oh! So you have quite the shinobi lessons for someone who claims never to attend an academy." "C''mon, many shinobis don''t need to attend an academy. Plus, this is not even shinobi techniques." "What a weird way to say that your techniques are much better than the ones others use," Deidara said. "Then let me open your eyes," Aoto said as he placed his thumb on his forehead, and in the next moment, Deidara''s astral form came out of the body. "What?" Deidara was appalled as he floated in the air. "What a nice genjutsu!" Deidara said. For some reason, he turned to the audience, and they seemed to be looking at the main body with fear, fear of losing the match too, as they didn''t know what Aoto had done. But there was one person who was just looking at him. His astral form. And that was Onoki. His aged eyes seemed to have a spark that he had almost never seen before. "Old man, what are you looking at?" Deidara shouted. He didn''t know why he shouted that, maybe because he was trying his best to get out of the genjutsu and he felt like the old man was the only one who could see him and subtly give him advice from far, but instead, the face of the old man just lit up more. The next moment, Deidara''s astral form was again back in his body. "What the hell did you do to me?" Deidara asked. He was expecting some kind of attack, but instead, it was a weird experience. 178. Teach me, in the voice of Doctor Strange "To show you how little you know," Aoto said, and then Deidara proceeded to see something that he would always remember for the rest of his life. He saw himself flying high, and within seconds, he reached the high stratosphere. From there, he got to see the whole planet. And then he was thrust into a different dimension altogether. It was fast, way too fast, even for him, as he passed through the dimension. His heartbeat turned up a notch, pupils dilated as adrenaline pumped through his veins. The dimension he was going through was colorful and vivid. He was already mesmerized. No longer thinking that this was a genjutsu, he was also enjoying the view as Deidara was taken to another dimension. At this point, he was taken through multiple dimensions at a fast pace. "You think you know what true beauty in this world is. You haven''t even seen the world to explain what true beauty is. Open your eyes. We are just a minute speck in this vast multiverse. Now the question is, do you want to reach beyond and get to know what lies among the mysteries or just want to settle on the fact that explosives are equal to beauty," Aoto said as Deidara sailed through multiple dimensions. Of course, there were not actual multiple dimensions, as the system had said that their world wouldn''t open fully as of yet since their world didn''t have a sorcerer supreme. But Deidara, nonetheless, was mesmerized. After a few seconds, Deidara found himself the same way as he was before. Two Aotos holding him down and the main body Aoto pulling his hand away from his forehead. Deidara looked mesmerized, the audience around was full of cheers and motivation, but it was deaf to the ears of Deidara. Deidara looked straight at Aoto and said. "Teach me." His words weren''t loud enough, but many shinobi surrounding could hear his words. They were taken aback by the words of Deidara, as they thought Aoto was just trying to make him surrender, but the words implied something else. In response, Aoto put his mouth close to the ears of Deidara and said. "Impress us first." This made the cheeks of Deidara red for some reason, but he understood the meaning behind Aoto''s words. Deidara was now obsessed with what he had seen. This time he was sure that it was not a genjutsu, and even if it was, he wanted to learn whatever he had seen. Deidara gave the sign of surrendering and got up. This surprised Aoto, as he felt if Deidara really wanted to win, he could have because he wasn''t so good in hand-to-hand fights like him, and his explosive techniques were actually of many varieties. He had the small clay bombs, the ones that could get inside the body and kill him. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. There were other techniques which Deidara could have used to defeat Aoto, but he chose to surrender. Aoto smiled in response and thanked him, while Onoki''s eyebrows were still creased. Anyone seeing him could feel as if he was very much disappointed by the result, but Onoki was thinking of an entirely different thing. The second time Deidara was sent on a dimensional journey, Onoki somehow got a glimpse of it, and right now, he was contemplating if whatever he saw was real or not. Since it was the the third fight and they had lost three consecutive ones, Iwagakure shamefully decided to stop the whole arena fight. They were embarrassed to the extreme and didn''t want this small ''tournament'' to continue. Aoto was back in his place with the rest and from then on the local people who had been looking at them with condescending eyes didn''t look at them anymore and avoided them. Aoto didn''t mind it. Deidara and others didn''t show up at all for the rest of the day. It was the next day that Aoto and Kisuke was called to finish the whole deal and start the process since the daimyo of the Land of Earth was also here. They at the end decided on sharing the construction of the bridge and make provisions that there would be no conflict. The bridge would never be used as a source of attacking another village which was cosigned by both of the daimyo. Of course from an intelligent perspective those laws were just laws, and laws could always be broken if a strong person came, and at the moment, there wasn''t strong enough from both sides to take that leap. Thus the treaty was signed and Kisuke went on to negotiate various items and good that would be traded. Konoha by itself wanted to trade and the tax deals were chalked out which would be renewed every 5 years. The whole deal went on for 3 days and finally after the negotiation everything was signed and ready to go. After almost a week in Iwagakure, it was time to leave. Of course nobody showed up to say goodbye as the people around didn''t have a good view of Konoha and many felt like Konoha had cheated in the tournament. They said that only one among them was a shinobi but they proved to be deceptive. After signing off in the gates of Iwagakure, they started walking away in a calm manner. "Aiya.. Can we expect some kind of ambush?" Kisuke asked while holding the hand fan in front of his face. "Who cares? We will be out of this place and be in our bed soon." Aoto said. "I am sad that I couldn''t show off." Shikuro said as he was still sulking that he didn''t get chance to show off. "Than maybe when Jiraya-sama shows up, you can ask him." Corazon said. "I am confident but not so confident." Shikuro defended himself. "He is good with his brains so you can''t just fight Jiraya-sama and expect magic to win." Aoto commented. They passed on casual comments when Corazon said. "Someone is approaching us in fast speed. Oh wait, we know him." Corazon said. Shikuro''s butterflies were already around and Aoto asked Kisuke to make sure there isn''t any ambush of small bombs. Deidara soon emerged from the shadows and landed in front of Aoto. He looked a bit embarrassed and his face was red. "Why are you here?" Aoto asked. "I.. Hmmm.. I want to learn whatever you did before to me." Deidara said after some stumbling on his words. 179. The balls of these people This made Aoto speechless for a bit. Aoto wanted to ''seduce'' Deidara a bit, the same way Itachi did to him, giving this guy an obsession. But that obsession was another kind of obsession, an obsession to beat that guy in the future, which trickled towards Sasuke. In all hindsight, Sasuke should have lost that battle against Deidara, especially after C0, but he still survived. And Aoto didn''t actually think of triggering any kind of obsession from this guy, he had noticed that Onoki had seen things which others couldn''t. Maybe it was the magic talent in him speaking but seeing the positive feedback, Aoto was happy. Now here was Deidara, who actually wanted to learn, which he didn''t expect. Maybe this new obsession of his could help him save his life. "System, how high is his talent?" [ Host, Deidara has a high level talent in magic. Pantheonic Magic ] Everyone around looked at Aoto as he was he leader and he would get to decide. Deidara too got the cue and looked at Aoto with puppy eyes. "You do realize that you asking me this is a betrayal of your village." Aoto said with a smile in his face and Deidara didn''t even flinch before nodding his head. "Deidara, we can teach you but you can''t do this now and if it happens the cooperation we have at the moment will break down. If you want to learn, you will have to think of a way to learn it in a safe away without jeopardizing the whole agreement between us. You don''t want to start a war between us, do you?" Deidara face changed color when he realized that even he ran away with them, which he was all up for running away with them, but now that he realized the future problems, he didn''t know what to say. In hindsight, he was still very young and hasn''t seen the world. "Hmmm... I will get away from the village and once I do.. Teach me." Deidara said and actually demanded at the end with the tone. Aoto didn''t mind that and just nodded. After getting the promise he left hurriedly. "What do you want to do with it if Deidara comes knocking?" Corazon asked. "I don''t want him to come and knock, I want Onoki to come and knock." Aoto said. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. "That old geezer? Why?" Kisuke asked. "Because he needs to be the Sorcerer Supreme." Aoto said. "What?" "What the hell?" "Oh Hell, no." "Nope.. In no way." Aoto just smiled and called on to Guy who had went forward to see if there was any ambush. Guy getting the cue came back and Corazon opened a portal to Konoha. "If you could use that, why didn''t you use before?" Guy couldn''t help but complain. "But then Guy-san, where will be our youth energy go if we take the easy route always." Aoto said. This made Guy''s eyes shine and commended Aoto to think in this way. He asked Aoto to join but in return, Aoto told him of a guy name Lee who could follow his footsteps that was currently in the Academy. Soon they were back at home. As they went through the gate, Corazon who was in a happy mood suddenly stiffened. "What''s up?" "Naruto is missing!" Corazon said. "What?" "What are you talking about?" "What is going on?" Corazon had heard all of it as his Observation haki had caught some of the words spoken in a distance away and his devil fruit allows him to amplify the anti-silence too. It''s something like Enel used to do but the range was very small. After signing on the gate, they ran to home and when they reached there, they saw Retsu, John and others at home sitting and having a blank look. Only Restu had a look that seem to speak any volumes of emotions of what was going on. Even Yorichi, was sitting on her hind legs and had an expression of anger on her face. If at all a cat could have such expression. "What is going on?" These were the words that came out of Aoto''s mouth when he arrived and looked at everyone. "Naruto has been kidnapped." "I know.. John.. Have you searched?" Aoto asked. John just nodded in silence. "And?" Aoto continued. "He has been kidnapped by a joint mission done under the orders of Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado." John said. This gave Aoto a surprise because he didn''t hear the name Danzo along with them. John wasn''t gullible enough not to mention his name so what was going on? "Danzo and Hiruzen does know of it but they haven''t done anything about it." John said. "Is he safe?" Kisuke asked. Since John knew what was going on, so he must have used the mirror dimension to look at him, so he might know how Naruto was. "He is a bit bad shape but in other words he is fine." Yorichi said as both she and John went on their mission. Winry and Grandma, meanwhile had tears in her eyes. She had treated Naruto like a son and thus having her son kidnapped gave her trauma. Edward was fuming in anger, but was calm. "It seems Konoha thinks they can push us around. It''s time we show what we are really like." Aoto said.
Late at night. Few figures moved from rooftop to rooftop silently without making a noise. These figures had mask on their faces and soon they reached at one a rooftop that was adjacent to a very huge mansion with tall walls and one could see many shinobi guards on the corners and edges looking over the while mansion and safeguarding the home. As these figures emerged, a portal opened and more figures came out of the portal. Everyone had their masks on and a cape that covered their back, like a haori. Of course, these were Aoto and his friends. Aoto''s haori was different. It was red in color and it was the Levitation cloak which had chosen him. "John, has everything been been mapped out." Aoto asked. 180. The boss is always late John nodded, and then Aoto gave the signal to move. John and Arya moved in one direction, while Corazon and Edward went in the other. Tessai and Yorichi followed through the midway, led by Aoto. Aoto was flanked by Kisuke and Retsu. "Tessai, take down the majority of them and seal them up. At the end of the day, we will still need to live here, even though we don''t like them sometimes," Aoto said. "Got it," Tessai gave a thumbs-up. Shikuro acted as the overall support, allowing the butterflies to fly around and pass on real-time information. These butterflies also supported them with poison, causing the guards to fall asleep due to the sleep poison. These butterflies were harmless and wouldn''t cause a ruckus. As they materialized in the mansion''s courtyard, they wasted no time initiating their assault. John manipulated reality itself, creating illusions that confused the guards patrolling the perimeter. Meanwhile, Arya unleashed bolts of mystic energy, incapacitating the mansion''s security systems with a mere wave of her hand. Her bolts of orange lightning emanated from the small sword she always carried, now inscribed with runes that amplified her attacks considerably. Edward, donned in a cloak of shadows, summoned ethereal creatures to wreak havoc within the mansion walls. The creatures were composed of materials around them, inscribed with runes never seen before. They moved with uncanny speed, avoiding detection as they disabled communication devices and incapacitated guards with a touch that left them frozen in a state of suspended animation. Corazon, meanwhile, issued silence throughout the scenario, covering the entire mansion so that all the screams were muffled. Those attempting to run away faced a black cat that scratched at their faces, causing them to lose consciousness immediately. If Yorichi wasn''t there to ensure there were no runners, Shikuro made sure they didn''t escape. Butterflies surrounded any runner, causing them to fall asleep the next second. One person managed to evade the butterflies, and for the first time, Shikuro created an ethereal-looking scorpion that stung the person, pinning him to the ground. One butterfly flew by, and in Shikuro''s voice, it said, "The Hokage office has been alerted; there will be movement soon." "Then we need to move faster," Aoto said as he and the others descended, initiating their own attacks. By this time, Aoto had finally reached a high talent level, and his sorcery was swift as he manipulated the surroundings. He used telekinesis to hurl objects at the shinobis, who were screaming and running toward him. They were met with high-speed spoons, kunais, and ninja tools. Attempts to use jutsus were thwarted by an invisible wall that protected Aoto and those following him. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Aoto had come a long way and could now handle magic on a larger scale. Kisuke and Retsu ensured he wasn''t in danger, and since these shinobis weren''t even Jonin, their tricks couldn''t stop Aoto. Among the shinobis, someone from the Yamanaka clan attempted to take over Aoto''s mind. However, all the intruder could see was magic from different dimensions flowing through his body, overwhelming him and causing him to pass out. Aoto continued wreaking havoc until a sudden strong movement caught his attention. Two people appeared at super-fast speed, breaking through his barriers with jutsus that didn''t require hand signs. They were about to stab kunais at him when Retsu and Kisuke intervened with their Zanpakutos. "My, my, this is too fierce of a response. Don''t you think so? We haven''t killed anyone, just made them unconscious," Kisuke remarked. "Who are you?" one of the men, Homura, asked. He didn''t look very old and still had some black hair on his head. "You should know who we are," Aoto replied. "For all I care, you''re people from another village invading Konoha and attacking us." There was a small hesitance in Koharu''s words that Aoto noticed. "Really? You just kidnapped Naruto, and you think you don''t know us," Aoto said as he slowly removed his mask. Koharu and Homura stiffened as Kisuke and Retsu applied pressure, making them step back. By this time, all the other shinobis were taken down and put to sleep. The two council members sensed that their mansion had been infiltrated by a group of people. "I have no idea what you''re talking about," Koharu said. "You think so? How about I go down to the right entrance door of the mansion, take ten steps to the left, and open the false wall that leads downward? You want me to believe that if I go down to the secret hideout, I won''t find Naruto?" Aoto''s words made their knees shake. They eyeballed Kisuke and Retsu, who had their faces hidden, but the interception of their attacks indicated their strength. The thing was Hiruzen knew that Naruto was kidnapped, but he was given the promise that it would be only for a few days and let Naruto blurt out about some of the secrets of Aoto. This was for the safety of Konoha. What he didn''t expect was Naruto being treated bad and forcing him to spill the core secrets of Aoto. Both of them didn''t want to delay and again attacked Aoto with ninjutsus, only to hear Kisuke said. "Awaken.. Benihime." Kisuke''s slim sword came to life and then it proceeded to become a more sleek, medium-sized sword. And then "Nake.. Benihime" (Cry Benihime) A red colored slash wave stopped the water and fire based ninjutsu attack. And the red slash didn''t stop them, it went on take down the two before both of them used t a rock wall jutsu to stop the attack and that too, they had to do it together. The two council people were horrified seeing how easily this masked man was able to stop and counter attack in a single strike. While both of them were in a small contemplation, there was movement outside the mansion and withing seconds a small group of shinobi appeared along with a man who was wearing an outfit that didn''t fit a shinobi. Rather it fit a Hokage. Hiruzen was here. 181. F**king shut your mouth "What the hell is going on a good night of clear sky?" Hiruzen was annoyed with what he was seeing. Today had been a good day for him, and he was supposed to go and meet Aoto and talk to him about the kidnapping case. But once he went to his home and didn''t find him and neither of his colleagues, he knew something was wrong. He knew that Aoto was back, as Guy had submitted the report of what had gone down. He didn''t expect that one of the geniuses of Iwagakure fell under the hands of Aoto. Of course, Guy couldn''t tell if Deidara pressed on, and it might not have been an easy case of win for Aoto. Aoto might be a sorcerer, but in the end, Deidara could have won using speed and bigger bombs. As Hiruzen arrived at the open courtyard where they had been fighting, he looked at Aoto, and if the eyes of Aoto could spit fire, here it was. Hiruzen instantly felt the anger of Aoto, and he could even feel the pressure emanating from Kisuke and Retsu. This kind of pressure he hadn''t felt ever before in his life, and for some reason, this pressure seemed to resonate very faintly, which he once felt during the night of the Kyuubi attack. And the point of origin was the shinigami that sealed Kyuubi. This was a very weird feeling, but he was sure that he felt that, but it didn''t make sense in his head. But at the moment, he had more damage control to do. "Hokage-sama, when I took Naruto, I told you that he will be under my supervision, protection, and care. Didn''t I?" Aoto asked, not mincing his words at all. Hiruzen looked at Aoto calmly and said. "Yes." "So why the hell do these people who have kidnapped Naruto are all buddy-buddy with you, Hokage-sama?" Aoto asked. "Well.. You see.. Naruto..." "Don''t fucking bring the fact of him being a jinchuriki, him being used as a weapon. If any of you have the balls to stand up to a tailed beast, then this wouldn''t have happened to begin with. None of you here have the strength to actually go toe to toe with a tailed beast, and so in order to mask your inadequacies, you pin your cruel dreams upon children. The people here are even ready to sell your own children to achieve greater power and think of it as some kind of greater purpose bullshit. Greater purpose? For what? For Konoha? The village didn''t even exist 100 years before and it was established to curb wars. Didn''t we?" Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "There have already been three wars, and all the villages are ready to go to war at any given moment. If you wanted Naruto as a weapon, then you should have treated him with more kindness, but what you do is sit around and dictate. I have told you all multiple times that my techniques wouldn''t be given to other people until I say so, but you still decided to go behind my back." Aoto said all of this in one single breath, and every word of his was heard by the three councilmen and the jonins that have arrived with Hiruzen, but the words of Aoto had hit the spot. "You brat.. You have no idea what you are talking about?" Koharu spat out in anger, and the next second she felt a sword blade placed on her neck. None of them even saw when Retsu had moved and arrived behind her. Even Hiruzen didn''t expect the speed of Retsu. At that moment, Hiruzen knew that he had messed up, because now he felt like he might not be able to take down these two people that Aoto had made friends with. Who the hell were these people? "Move another inch, and your head will be lying on my shelf for everyone to see," Retsu said in a chilling and emotionless tone. She was terrifying. "Aoto.. We can talk.. Can we all calm down and take a breather?" Hiruzen didn''t want to escalate at this point. Aoto didn''t look at him and shouted. "Shikuro!" A portal appeared near him, and out came Shikuro with Naruto on his shoulder. He had bruises and cuts; Hiruzen''s eyes went wide when he saw Naruto in bad shape, and then he immediately turned to the two ''friends''. And from one look, he could see the guilt in their eyes. He was beyond furious now. Aoto had just belittled him with words, and now his friends had backstabbed him. "Take him away," Aoto said; Shikuro nodded and proceeded to open another portal and vanish from their sight. They had not been able to help him since Aoto wasn''t around, though Yorichi wanted to go and help him, but Retsu shut her down, saying that doing that would make their case hostile. Naruto would be fine, and Aoto would be here soon anyway. "I am sorry, Aoto.. I didn''t mean to hurt Naruto in the first place," Hiruzen said as he bowed down his head. Aoto still had the glaring eyes. "Not hurt Naruto? You just betted to kidnap him. Even if you didn''t expect the physical torture, it would still be a hurt in the eyes of Naruto. What do you think Naruto will think once he gets to know who abetted his kidnapping? He wants to be a Hokage, and this is how the village treated him? And honestly, after so many years, you haven''t understood your so-called friends? Are you that dumb? If you die tomorrow, the next person who will take your place will be one of the three. You might think that this is commendable, but it''s not. Each one of them is ready to kill you if you don''t follow their lines and remove you. They won''t even have an ounce of regret while doing so." "Enough with your lies, brat..." Homura shouted. "Bakud¨­ #4. Hainawa." (Slithering Rope) A yellow beam of light shot out from Kisuke''s hands and proceeded to tangle Homura on his hands and his mouth, making him stop talking altogether and only give out muffled screams. He fell on his face on the green grass. The grass must be tasting quite good. 182. Ge out with your BS Hiruzen now looked more guilty than ever before and in top of that he was angry beyond words. He didn''t know what to say, his words carried weight as there were many jonins here, and though he felt like he could take down Aoto, which in all sense wouldn''t be easy since his friends had already arrived and were encircling them, and the damage which would be done today would throw Konoha into a turmoil. They were already trying to deal with the Uchiha turmoil, they didn''t want another one. Hiruzen regretted giving the green signal to kidnapping Naruto. "I am deeply sorry for what had happened. I understand that you are angry.." Hiruzen said and after a long sigh and looking into the clear sky he said. "I know that I haven''t been the good Hokage and in order to compensate that I resign from the position of Hokage and appoint you as the 6th Hokage." Hiruzen said. This time it was Aoto''s turn to get surprised. He wasn''t expecting that. This sudden change was not on the expected cards of Aoto. "Hokage-sama what are you saying? We don''t accept the resignation." "Hokage-sama please think again." "Hokage-sama.." "Hiruzen.. You better think now." Koharu wanted to speak more but felt a warm liquid flowing down the neck as Retsu was still holding her Zanpakuto "You don''t need to say anything. After 4th died, I have been searching for a good candidate of being the Hokage and I want Aoto to take up my position. I know that he hasn''t been to the Academy but the financial power he has brought to Konoha is more than amazing and at the moment we will even have a trade route that will be opened. We have a good trade route with the Sunagakure and that is something we didn''t expect." Hiruzen said and then he went on to say more about how Aoto had helped a lot and even though he hadn''t been in the same power as everyone, he could go on to mission for the village while slowly getting accustomed to the position of Hokage. Until then, he would train him himself and soon would be ready both mentally and physically to take over Konoha and bring the village to a new era. Of course, none of the people around agreed, especially not the two old people. Hiruzen then looked at Aoto with a warm smile while Aoto looked back, thinking of all the things that had just happened. His brain was working overtime to understand why out of nowhere Hiruzen came up with this suggestion. Aoto was silent as he looked at Hiruzen for quite sometime and then replied. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "No!" Kisuke and Unohana had smiles on their faces behind the masks. Aoto seemed to be much more mature than they expected him to be. "Aoto.. This is the Hokage position we are talking about. If you feel you are weak, we can make you a great shinobi," Hiruzen said. Aoto took a deep breath and said. "Hokage-sama, we need to talk privately about this matter," Aoto said. He had calmed down by now. Hiruzen nodded and eyed Kisuke and Unohana, but they acted like they hadn''t seen him at all. Hiruzen turned around and indicated the shinobis to leave them, and that included Corazon, Edward, and others. Only the two people from the Konoha council, Hiruzen, Aoto, and the two Captain-class shinobi with the black cat remained. The silence again prevailed with everyone leaving. Even Homura and Koharu, who had been squirming around, stopped as Unohana and Kisuke stood near them, and their towering figures gave off an air of intimidation. "Aoto.. You are the perfect candidate for being the next Hokage," Hiruzen said. "No.. I am not.. We both know that. Hokage-sama, it''s time to come clean," Aoto said. Hiruzen''s eyebrows creased as Aoto said that. "What do you mean?" "You wanted them to kidnap Naruto so that, in the end, you could push the position of Hokage onto me, didn''t you? You knew I would flip out the moment Naruto gets captured and would probably attack since you knew how powerful we were or at least have an idea. But you also knew that I love Konoha. And once I catch these two scumbags, you could easily push the whole Hokage position to me in the name of guilt. Since I have never joined the Academy, so in the name of teaching me, you could always have control over me as soon as I take the position." "Thus, even though I will hold the Hokage position, you and your friends will continue to act the way you have been doing so. And you expected me to take the position of Hokage because you thought that I will take it since I just assaulted the two high council members. You believe in my morality and think I will not refuse the position. Am I right?" Aoto said. Aoto said all of this in one breath, but as Aoto spoke more, Hiruzen''s eyes went wide. He didn''t expect that his small calculations would actually be seen through by Aoto quite easily, laying all his small actions bare for everyone to see. The two council members now looked at Hiruzen with glaring eyes as they couldn''t believe that their own friend would betray them in this way. They thought that Hiruzen was on the same page, but it definitely wasn''t. "You are wrong, Aoto.. I never thought of this this far. This isn''t true at all," Hiruzen said with a stoic voice. "I am right or wrong; maybe I will never know and neither do I care if my conjecture is correct or to the gutter," Aoto said and turned to face Kisuke and Unohana. Both of them, getting the indication, decided to do something out of Hiruzen''s expectations or to the expectations. Unohana inserted her Zanpakuto''s sharp blade into the right eye of Koharu, and Kisuke slashed at the face of Homura multiple times. The movement was so fast that both of them didn''t even see it coming, and only the pain echoed from their mouths in the next minute. Hiruzen jumped to save them but was slashed at by both Retsu and Kisuke. 183. Touch us if you dare Hiruzen literally had to duck with his head down in order to save his skin. "You dare attack a Hokage?" Hiruzen suddenly seemed to get angry that Kisuke and Uraha would even dare to hurt him. "We would dare to kill you if you hurt our family. Konoha is good, and I would give my life away to protect the village, but not for a moment think that you alone represent Konoha just because you are the Hokage. You are sitting in that position because Tobirama-sama gave away the position to you, not because the people chose you. You are in the position because you are powerful, and because the decisions you have taken have prospered Konoha. Do you really believe your position would be smooth if we had lost the war or if the 4th Hokage didn''t contribute significantly? Don''t delude yourself thinking you can represent all of Konoha." Aoto said. Hiruzen stopped when he heard Aoto gave him a reality check. He didn''t have words to say back because he knew he had failed to manipulate Aoto and bring him under his reigns. The whole situation had backfired on him at a massive scale and he had lost the trust of Aoto. He was ashamed and also angry that someone would be bold enough to hurt him, and he wanted to retaliate. But for some reason his age old instinct were telling not to make moves or he really might die in the hands of these two. Especially the woman. He felt like she had come out from a sea of corpses while she herself was responsible for the corpses that was beneath her feet. Her eyes which was the only thing visible. wasn''t able to give her any emotions. Hiruzen knew who she was because it didn''t take a lot of math of calculate who she could be. The woman who was now a senior doctor in the Konoha hospital and from the reports he had heard, this woman was so good that she could easily become the head doctor of the hospital. The reports suggested that she might have the same healing jutsus as the level of Princess Tsunade. This elated Hiruzen but now looking at the same woman he felt goosebumps. And the same went for Kisuke. He met him multiple times and felt like he was happy go lucky guy. Didn''t know he was so cruel when it was required. "You all should leave. We will talk about this later." Hiruzen suppressed his anger. He knew that both of them needed immediate medical help or else the situation might turn dire. Aoto nodded and opened a portal and then the three of them, including the cat walked through before the portal closed. Aoto didn''t care if he was angry or if he wanted to take some kind of revenge later. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Aoto wasn''t some Uchiha clan who could be just brushed off. If they did something to him, he would push back harder. He wasn''t some believer of taking the high road, and though the hatred cycle needed to end as Naruto in the future would put it but Konoha needed to get rid of the current tumor that was infesting. Aoto was back in the library where Unohana went and healed Naruto who seemed to be awake by now. It didn''t much time to get rid of the bruises. "I am sorry.." Naruto as he finally woke up, he looked mentally exhausted and someone who was also physically tired. But even on this he had tears in his eyes as he apologized. "What are you sorry for?" Aoto asked he took him and hugged him. Naruto broke down on the chest of Aoto as he could feel the hot tears wetting his shirt. Aoto really felt sad and his hatred for the higher levels of Konoha went more deep than ever seeing how Naruto felt. "I.. I as a ninja.. I as a sorcerer.. Couldn''t get away from them.. They tied me up and I couldn''t defend myself." Naruto said between his tears, his voice breaking. "Naruto, you were brave enough to handle some old men and get out fine. You just got bruises and you are very young Naruto. One day for sure, you will be more powerful than them, you will be better than them and the people who hurt you today, have already paid for their mistakes." Aoto said. This made Naruto cry a bit more. Everyone came around and gave a family hug. Torune was also there so he too came and hugged him. He had a vague idea of what had happened as Corazon said someone had kidnapped him, but he didn''t know whom, he just knew that after Aoto came everyone went and retrieved him back. Aoto assured him that he did fine and was a brave young boy. Later due to exhaustion he slowly drifted to sleep as Aoto took him to his room and laid him down on the bed. He seemed to smile a bit after being laid down. Maybe because he felt protected and loved after some time. Aoto closed the door and asked Torune to go back to sleep and Shikuro took him away. After some time Shikuro came back and he had a grave face as he came back. They didn''t hear what Aoto had to say to Hiruzen so they waited his response. Aoto told everything and they finally got the idea of what had happened. They were livid by the blatant manipulation done to Aoto. "I have to say this old man is at least 10 steps ahead of thinking than our old man." Kisuke said. "The kind of character that will make up a good television series." Zimmer said. Normally Zimmer was busy with his work but today he was at home, since it was a ''family'' emergency. He joked and in normal times people would have laughed but today it could only bore out a smile as Zimmer tried to turn down the tension. "I don''t think he will be very welcoming to you of what had happened." Corazon said. "No.. He wouldn''t dare to touch us after what had happened." Aoto said. 184. What is sharingan The next day, Naruto woke up with a smile on his face. He had the same old smile that he always had before, and Aoto was relieved to see that. Though he was sure that Naruto had some kind of trauma, they would work on it with him over time. Aoto made breakfast for Naruto as it was already time for him to leave for the academy. Corazon took the responsibility of guarding him, and Aoto didn''t stop him. Tensions were high at the moment, and Aoto wasn''t sure what Konoha would do. They just made a mockery of the two high council members, and Konoha wouldn''t take it lying down for sure. Hiruzen might, but the other two won''t. And Aoto had a fear of that. Konoha actually had other things to consider rather than dealing with the thorn that had grown in their backyard. The construction of the new bridge and the use of manpower. It was a very intricate matter, and Konoha had to be cautious about anything that could go wrong. In addition to that, Konoha had another matter to deal with¡ªthe Uchiha issue. Unohana had already told Aoto that there were multiple patients in the hospital belonging to the Uchiha and other shinobis of the village engaging in fights, and some even escalated to shinobi fights. Aoto could already foresee what was going to happen but didn''t know how to help. He could only wait and see, hopefully able to save the Uchiha. Naruto and Hinata showed up after the Academy, and apparently, Naruto''s disappearance had made Hinata very sad as she could already guess what was happening. Seeing Naruto back brought a smile to her face. Both actually avoided the topic of kidnapping and started learning from Shikuro as they always did. Chomei was actually very pissed that he didn''t get to go out and extract revenge. (I am not sure what gender I should use as I have messed up with the gender of Chomei, so from now on, Chomei is male). But Chomei was glad that Naruto and Hinata were back, and Aoto could notice that the kidnapping of Naruto changed something in him. He became more interested in teaching Naruto and Hinata more advanced fighting styles and more magic. Aoto was happy that Chomei was now slowly letting go of the hatred, and maybe it was time to tell what Naruto was supposed to be in the future so that he could invest more time in him. Aoto waited for some kind of retaliation or at least a visit from Hiruzen for the next few days as life came to normal and construction of the bridge had already started, but there was none. Instead, he received another kind of visit from an unexpected person. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. It was Fugaku Uchiha. "Fugaku-san, so late a visit?" "Sorry, Aoto, for the silent visit, but I need some answers," Fugaku said. "Come in," Aoto said as he could see that Fugaku was a bit stressed. Naruto was in the library, so the home was empty, and they took to the living room. He brewed some tea and offered Fugaku one cup. He sipped one time and looked at Aoto. "Tell me what do you want to know. I will answer what I can," Aoto said. "Did you attack the Konoha council members?" Fugaku asked. Aoto was taken aback, as he didn''t expect that his assault would be known to the public, but then again, he was the head of the police force, so he must have had connections. "I did," Aoto replied calmly. Fugaku looked at him with a bit of surprise and then shook his head. "I knew that Naruto was kidnapped, and I also had a vague idea of who did it. Sorry that I couldn''t stop. For being the police force of Konoha, we, the Uchiha, have been a failure," Fugaku said as he bowed his head in apology. "It''s alright. I know how politics work. I knew what I was getting into when I took Naruto in. Just didn''t expect they to come after me. I expected Danzo to come. But he as surprisingly no where to be see." Aoto said as he too sipped his tea. Fugaku flinched hearing the name of Danzo and a bit surprised that Aoto even knew of him and his agenda. "How is Naruto holding up? I asked Sasuke to be a bit more friendly to him." Fugaku said. "Friendship can''t be forced Fugaku-san, it can only be natural just like love. You can''t force people emotions." Aoto said. "You are right." Fugaku said and agreed. He took a deep breath and asked. "What do you know about the Sharingan?" "Huh?" Aoto was taken aback by the question. "Yes. When we met in the beginning you knew about my Mangekyo and even the fact that overusing it can be damaging. So I want to ask what do you know about the Sharingan?" Fugaku asked. "Fugaku-san, I am just a baby in front of you. I don''t know anything about it." Aoto denied straight forward. "You made a fool of my Susano and you still call yourself a baby. They, Konoha council, are stupid if they think they can get away with what they did to Naruto. So I feel like you are on my level too." Fugaku said. "You exaggerate too much, Fugaku-san." Aoto said. Fugaku shook his head in denial and looked at him for answers. It seemed like Fugaku wanted some answers today. "Sigh! Why am I being dragged here?" Aoto asked. "It''s because of my son Itachi. I feel like he has shifted his alliance and I don''t know how to bring him back. I feel like I can''t move forward and I don''t know what to do with him. My wife told me to clear my head and I had always wanted to know about Sharingan and the Uchiha, and I want to start here. I have a feeling that there is more to it than what I have known all my life so I am looking for answers." Fugaku said. 185. Why am I being dragged here? "How am I the right person in this?" Aoto asked. "It''s because you know more about the Mangekyo." Fugaku replied. "Why do you think that there is more to the Mangekyo?" Aoto asked. "I.." Fugaku didn''t know if he should speak or not. Aoto while sipping his tea said. "It''s because of what you read at the tablet." Aoto took his words and answered. Fugaku''s eyes went wide as he looked at Aoto for a few seconds and then sighed. Fugaku always had the feeling that Aoto knew about the tablet that belonged to their family, and apparently the tablet belonged to Madara before. "So.. If you have read since you have the Mangekyo, why are you asking me. I am a nobody." Aoto continued. "You know of the tablet which can only be known to those who become the patriarch of the Ichiha family. That is more than any other Hokage knows." Fugaku said. "Even if I know, I can''t read it." Aoto said. "That is the truth, but you know very well about the Mangekyo so you definitely know more." Fugaku said. "Well the tablet has been like a Bible for you all these years. I still don''t see the problem." Aoto said. "What is a Bible?" Fugaku asked. "Nothing.." Aoto replied. Fugaku didn''t ask as he had noticed that Aoto would use terms he had never heard before in their numerous conversation. "What do you want from me Fugaku-san? I know about the tablet and that is not a crime as long as I can remember the laws." Aoto said. Fugaku took a deep breath and said. "I want to know if what I have read in the tablet is true or not?" "Huh? It''s your sacred tablet. How can it be not true?" Aoto asked and now he was intrigued why would Fugaku doubt the tablet. "I can''t say why but the whole thing of Infinite Tsukuyomi feels odd to me. The calculation don''t add up." Fugaku said. "What calculations?" Aoto asked. "So you do know of Infinite Tsukuyomi." Fugaku noticed that he asked about the calculations but not about the Infinite Tsukuyomi. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Yes. I do know." Aoto didn''t hide at this point because he was intrigued by Fugaku more. From the beginning itself he wanted to save the Uchiha and for that reason over time he had laid some of his cards and showed that he might know of the tablet, especially when he said that he knew of Mangekyo. Those doubts now bore fruition. He was just surprised that Fugaku even doubted the tablet, maybe that was the reason he didn''t go for Eternal Mangekyo as that was also written in the tablet, unlike Madara, who went on to get himself a Eternal Mnagekyo Sharingan. "Infinite Tsukuyomi says that it could bring people to a genjutsu over the world and make them have a future where there is nothing but happiness. But what about after? Everyone''s ideal life is different, so I don''t think under genjutsu humanity can flourish. What about humanity later? Will they be listening to the orders of one single being? I want to know more." Fugaku said. "What has all this have to do with Itachi?" Aoto asked. "I don''t know what path my son will take but I want to make sure he knows the truth and make decision accordingly. So knowing about the tablet and then decide what I should do with my son." Fugaku said. "Sigh! What do you want to know? It''s weird that a person as high as you would come to me for advice." Aoto said. "Don''t belittle yoruself. You took care of a junchuriki. Very few people in the world can do that." Fugaku said. "Most of the things that you have read is true. Most of it, except for the Infinite Tsukuyomi part." Aoto said. Fugaku looked deeply at Aoto and nodded. "Come with me." Aoto said and then before Fugaku could understand what was going on the scenery around changed. Fugaku saw that he was in a huge library, which was several stories high. The books around flying and everything around looked magical. Yes, Fugaku used his sharingan to see if it was some kind of genjutsu but it wasn''t. Everything around was real. "Which clown did you bring now." Chomei who was nearby reading said. "A clown that you will have to entertain." Aoto replied with the same sass. Fugaku was actively trying to go through his memory to remember who this person was but couldn''t remember anyone who was close to Aoto with that face. "Fugaku-san this is Chomei.. He will tell you about the ten-tails." Aoto said. "What is ten-tails?" Fugaku was confused about everything and subconsciously asked. He wanted to know about the library more but didn''t get the time to ask. "Who is he?" Hearing the name of ten-tails, Chomei who was quite the mood, became serious. "He is the current patriarch of the Uchiha family, and he can be trusted." Aoto said. "Uchiha and trust. What a joke? You know very well of the feelings we have about the people who are the descendants of that person." Chomei said. "Yes, but listen to him first." Aoto said. Chomei didn''t like it one bit so Aoto came forward and explained what this place and how this place has a seal that he wouldn''t be able to talk about it once he goes out, so he didn''t care if he tried to speak of it outside. Fugaku, of course, promised not to break the trust of Aoto and explained to Chomei. He wasn''t sure why Aoto had told him to do this but he did at the end. Chomei listened and then sighed. "You are going to make me regret this, aren''t you Aoto?" Chomei asked. "I have hopes for him." Aoto said. Chomei nodded and then proceeded to show his real body. The small body soon transformed into a huge one. A huge insect which 7 wings on its back. Fugaku was horrified when he saw Chomei and he almost went into fighting mode but Aoto stopped him. "I am Chomei, or as you humans like to call me the 7 tailed beast." 186. I dont trust them Fugaku couldn''t wrap his head around what was going on, but eventually, he calmed down with the help of Aoto and Chomei. It was at the end that Chomei spoke of the Ten Tails and the whole charade of Infinite Tsukuyomi. Fugaku finally came to know of the Ten Tails, of the whole tablet being manipulated by some child of an alien who wanted to bring back his mother. The more Fugaku listened to Aoto, the more he thought he was hearing some kind of fairy tale. But the evidence was there all along. The things about the ¨­tsutsuki family, the mention of Hagoromo ¨­tsutsuki, how over the years they had been manipulated, and how a different version had been passed down. The war between Senju and the Uchiha, all being manipulated until they came together, but even then, both of them were at each other''s throats. "So what is the endpoint of it?" Fugaku almost broke down when he heard the whole story. "The endpoint is bringing her back," Aoto said. "I will never ever do that kind of thing. Never. That is horrible," Fugaku almost screamed out. Aoto could already see the deep hatred now that he had for the tablet and wanted nothing but to burn it down. "I know. But it doesn''t mean that others won''t," Aoto said. "You mean Itachi? No. If he ever tries to do that, I will kill him with my own hands," Fugaku said, and Aoto, for the first time, could see the determination in his eyes. "Calm down, Fugaku-san. You have always said that Itachi was better than you, don''t you trust him?" Aoto said. Fugaku nodded, but he was skeptical. "I didn''t mean Itachi when I said others. There can be others too," Aoto said. "There are others who have Mangekyo and have access to the tablet? Who.. I will find him and kill him," Fugaku vowed, but then it suddenly struck him. The Kyuubi night attack, the reason why they were in this position. Aoto could see the realization dawn on his eyes as he went through a hurricane of emotions. Anger, sadness, horrified, and at the end pain. "That attack.. Was really one of us?" Fugaku asked. "Yes," Aoto said. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "Then why don''t you go and catch him. And kill him. He is responsible for the death of your parents. You are powerful enough and even have a tailed beast with you," Fugaku asked. "Simple, we are not powerful enough, and even if we face him and his small team, it won''t change the fact that the manipulator would survive. And even if we do take care of the manipulator, you are forgetting the main problem here. The aliens," Aoto said. "Didn''t you say that this Kaguya figure is sealed?" Fugaku asked. "And you think Kaguya was the only alien?" Aoto asked. Fugaku''s eyes went wide, looking at Aoto with a surprised expression. "This?" Fugaku was at a loss for words. He didn''t know what to say, remaining in silence for a minute or two as he gathered his thoughts. He then said, "What does the Uchiha need to do to make our past and future right?" "There is only one thing that we can do. And that is survive," Aoto said. "Are the aliens that powerful?" Fugaku asked. "They have Rinne-sharingan, and their Byakugan is of a higher level. They can make domains out of nothing, actual physical domains, teleport around, and a host of other abilities that I don''t know about," Aoto explained. "How do you know all this?" Fugaku couldn''t help but ask, and all Aoto did was show him the library. Fugaku was still reeling from the whole story and didn''t get time to think about the library, but now it suddenly struck him. Where did the whole library come from? What was written in these books? What is this place? And how come he couldn''t remember such a structure in Konoha? "What is this place?" Fugaku inquired. "A place where demons are real," Chomei replied instead. This made Aoto smile but didn''t add more to it. "Fugaku-san, I know many things, but for now, survive because your clan is on the verge of destruction. The Senju have assimilated into Konoha and almost vanished, except for one person. The last one standing is your clan," Aoto said. "Do I have to stage a coup in order to survive?" Fugaku hesitantly asked. He was unsure how else he should save their clan, and also because Aoto didn''t belong to the Uchiha. Aoto didn''t care about the thoughts of the Uchiha and after much thinking, he said, "I will see what I can do about the Uchiha family, but you need to make sure that the Uchiha are unanimous. You can''t be blind to see that some of your own clan members have too much pride and make problems for the clan. Get rid of the tumor, and do it in such a way that the clan doesn''t go against you in this. And I will see how to make peace with Konoha. I can''t guarantee you anything, but I promise I will try my best to save both," Aoto said. "Thank you. I don''t want to go against Konoha because in this war we need all the help we can get, and I understand that the council members of Konoha don''t represent all of Konoha. Thus, I hope we can come to a settlement," Fugaku said. "I hope so too. You should leave. I am sure many people might have noticed you coming to my place, and it might give some people the wrong idea," Aoto said. "I understand," Fugaku said. He thanked Chomei, and Aoto sent him back to Konoha, leaving Aoto and Chomei alone. "Where''s Naruto?" Aoto asked. "He slept away in the library while reading. I took him to bed," Chomei said. "Thank you, Chomei," Aoto said. "Are you really going to help them? You know their history, and you still want to do so?" Chomei asked. 187. Double F you "I can''t say for all of Konoha, but I do have trust in him and his children." Aoto said. "But this Itachi guy seems to be trouble." Chomei said as he saw how Fugaku spoke of Itachi. "He is too intelligent for his own age, but he is also ignorant of the whole world. Even though he has already thought 20 steps ahead of his age, the alien family is already 100 steps ahead. I will see what I can do to save him. I saved him once, let''s see if I can save him another time from eternal damnation." Aoto said. Chomei nodded. With that Aoto went out of the library, it was late at night and he was too tired to do anything and he too went to sleep. The next few days, nothing happened and everything went as usual, but there one thing he was hoping to happen and that was the upgrade of the system. The conditions for the upgrade of his system was being met and after the establishment of the bridge. The bridge was made in record time and Kisuke went there multiple times to settle the whole settlement and deal. Aoto actually wanted someone from his place to go and make the shop to which Onoki said no. He knew about the deal with Land of Iron so he asked someone close to him to be the manager of the new shop that Aoto''s company opened there on the promise and written deal that if they went back, they would have to face serious repercussions. Of course, Aoto too had to accept the same repercussions. Kisuke mentioned that Deidara hung around him like a puppy in his travels to the Iwagakure to which Aoto laughed. "Then? Did you teach him swordsmanship?" Aoto asked. Kisuke just rolled his eyes. When Fugaku had come to meet him, Kisuke was actually in Iwagakure. After he came back, Kisuke said that the shop was on its way to be made and soon the items would be sold as the items had already reached the village. After 2 days of return of Kisuke, he suddenly heard the notification that the system was ready to upgrade which meant he had already sold enough materials from the shop to the people around and he had established a trade route between Konohagakure and Iwagakure. The news was great. "Upgrade the system." [ Upgrading the system. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ] The upgrade as usual was fast and it only took a few seconds. Aoto was waiting for what new perks he would be getting. He hoped that he could get something in this upgrade that hopefully save the Uchihas. [ System upgraded. Here are the perks for the new upgrade 1. The area of protection has been extended to 700 meters around the shop 2. The system has noticed that the host and his allies doesn''t have a teacher to teach him the skills that he and his allies has been learning all this time. The system will provide a lottery and thus provide one. Remember, the person provided would be part time and not under the control of the host. He or she can come and go as he or she pleases. The rules of secrecy still apply for the future appointed teacher. 3. The system wants host to start a business in another realm, thus the system will provide a safe passage to a low level world and since the realm will be low level and thus will be protected by the system from the attack of dimensional demons and gods. But it is advised that the host should get themselves a new Sorcerer Supreme, be it host or the one the system recommended. The next upgrade can''t be done until the host gets a new Sorcerer Supreme. ] Hearing the new teacher and a new realm gave him a weird kind of feeling and also a headache. His employees had always been under him and though he never bossed them, he still held some power over them. Here there would be someone whose ideals might not match with him. Aoto could only guess who their magic teacher would be and thinking of the Marvel comics already gave him a shudder. A teacher didn''t mean that he or she would have to morally right. He or she could be just as demented as any marvel villain. Baron Mordo, Victor Doom, both of them knew sorcery but they were the bad ones. If any one of them would arrive in this world. What Madara, what Kaguya? His main headache would be dealing one of them. "System, what if I not summon any teacher and get along fine?" Aoto asked. [ Then the system wouldn''t upgrade to the next level ] "Fuck you." Aoto cursed. "What if I don''t summon the teacher after selecting, can I escape?" [ No ] "Fuck you, square." Aoto cursed again. He was seething in anger and didn''t know where to vent. In this upgrade he didn''t call anyone as he felt calling them would mean as none of them would know what he was going through. He went to the rooftop and laid down. He gazed at the stars for an hour or so before calming down. "A single mountain can''t hold two lions, so if Doom comes he will take care of the aliens as he would never accept threat in any world he was in. Maybe that can be used against him if he comes. And there is no guarantee that he is chosen. The Ancient One might be chosen too. Sad that none of them could be the Sorcerer Supreme here and help me in my job. Sometimes I feel that the system had the choice of only magic and never other power systems." Aoto murmured. "Take me to the lottery." Aoto said and in the next moment he found himself to the same nostalgic white space with two lottery spin. First one was the teacher and the second one was the realm which he was going to chose to start his new business. 188. My back hurts sitting on the throne Unlike the last time, he was alone in the whole white space. He was a little tense, unlike the previous times, and at times like these, Aoto had the habit of being alone and dealing with his thoughts. This was one of those days. "Let''s address the elephant in the room," Aoto mumbled as he approached the first lottery. He only prayed for a minute before revolving the spinning wheel. The wheel spun in full force, and after a moment, it stopped, and the pointer landed on a question mark. "Please don''t be a villain... Please don''t be a villain," Aoto murmured. The question mark got replaced by the face of a man, a man with a very weird fashion sense. The picture showed a man sitting on a throne with a stoic and quite handsome face. He seemed to be sitting with no emotions written on the face while thin green threads floated around him. It wasn''t the case of a single thread; there seemed to be thousands of them surrounding his small golden throne. The man sitting on the throne had a full green robe around him with loafers on his feet. He seemed to be some kind of deity, but the face of the man in the picture somehow gave Aoto the impression that he wasn''t really happy sitting on the throne. Another very apparent thing about the man was the long horns adorned on his head. Aoto, upon seeing the person, immediately knew who he was. Loki Laufeyson, or for this purpose, Loki Odinson, because the one sitting on the throne definitely earned the title of his adoptive father. The God of Stories or He Who Remains. Aoto was actually happy that someone like him would be their teacher because he was too powerful, and also, he would have knowledge that would span through centuries. He was not only proficient in magic but also in science. This Loki had spent centuries learning physics, mechanics, and engineering. "Wait, if he is our teacher, how will he sit on that throne? That throne needs a person at all times." [ The host doesn''t need to worry about it. The system will provide the teacher with an extra body and have connection with the same head and higher mental power and information processing, thus the teacher can in two places at the same time and if he wishes he can be in one place too. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ] "Okay, that is fine. Summon him." Unlike the previous times, the person wasn''t summoned, but a small portal opened. Aoto got to see the same man in the picture. He turned around, surprised to see a portal, and also a man looking through the portal. In the next moment, a body appeared near him. Within seconds, he got to understand what was going on as new information flowed into his brain. Loki, sitting on the throne, was someone who was manipulating and holding all the timelines in the multiverse and also the sacred timeline. He was there because if he didn''t do that, then all the branched timelines would cease to exist, and he would lose his friends forever. The sad part being he would have to sit on the throne for eternity. But here, he might get the chance and get out. He would get to see a new world. "Hello," Loki said. "Hello," Aoto replied from across the portal. He wasn''t allowed to come into this place because he might actually die here. There was an awkward silence in the air as both of them just looked at each other while the other lifeless body of Loki just stood nearby. But it only lasted for a few seconds, as the lifeless body of Loki came to life and without another word, came out of the portal. He looked at the white background, but he didn''t mind. Loki finally said, "In all of my timelines, I have never heard of the world of yours." Aoto was surprised by it because he expected that anime would be a point in the Marvel world or the story of Naruto, but he was wrong. "What do you know of this world?" Aoto asked as he too was trying to lift the awkwardness. "That all the people here are powerful," Loki said. "That is a start. By the way, thank you for the sacrifice for the greater good, teacher," Aoto said as he bowed down his head. Loki felt embarrassed and said, "Being called a teacher is a first for me." "Well, you should get used to it because you already have many students," Aoto said with a smile. "Hahaha, I am excited to meet them. Staying in that throne takes a toll on my back," Loki said as he cracked his spine a bit by bending backward and sideways. "This is not your actual body," Aoto reminded. "But I can act like one," Loki replied while being a bit irritated that he was being reminded by his student. Loki at the end was still Loki because they weren''t friends yet; he still hadn''t cozied up to them. "I will send you out of the village, and you can come back here after being registered," Aoto said. "Should I have to do it?" Loki still had a bit of a superiority complex and he didn''t want to follow rules. "You can do it like in New York, and it will end with you killing everyone here because people take security here too seriously," Aoto said. He was sure that Loki would be able to kill everyone here because control of time wasn''t something anyone could do in this world, not even the ¨­tsutsuki. Maybe only the ¨­tsutsuki God could do so. Loki, hearing him, only rolled his eyes, but he accepted, and Aoto sent him out of Konoha. He didn''t need to be introduced at the moment and could be done later. The next thing Aoto needed was to open the realm. 189. I want to see four eyes or four legs Loki still had time to arrive, so he went forward with the second lottery. Unlike the previous time when he had summons under his control, this time it was entirely different. A teacher who he couldn''t control and a realm to pass his business to which he had no idea about. Or at least, those were his thoughts. He rotated the spinning wheel in full force until the pointer finally stopped at a question mark. The question mark got erased and was replaced by a long name. The name of the realm. Aoto looked at the name for quite some time and only shook his head with a sigh. He recognized the name of the realm instantly. "Whatever. I finally have some solutions and maybe enough stability," Aoto thought as he came out of the system space. It was already late at night, so he went to sleep. Loki would take his time coming here, so he had time. The next day, Aoto woke up pretty early. Naruto, as usual, was getting ready for the Academy while Aoto handled the food for him. "Naruto, there will be a new teacher of magic today," Aoto said while he stuffed some sticky rice inside his lunch box. "New teacher?" Naruto was confused. "Yes, a new and very capable teacher. Be respectful to him as he is a God," Aoto said. This made Naruto shudder and say. "An actual God, God-dattebayo?" Naruto still had picked up the dattebayo thing, though he wouldn''t speak it out in every turn, but the thing was always there. "Yes, an actual God, God," Aoto said. Naruto was flushed with excitement. He had read of them so many times in different books and knowing about them. Whenever Naruto had questions about them, he would ask about the Gods like Celestials and others, and Aoto would only say that they existed and maybe someday he would meet them, once he was strong enough. But now, Aoto saying he would have a God as a teacher, that excited him to no end. "Who? Who is the teacher? I want to meet him now." Naruto had his voice quivering in excitement. He couldn''t wait. "Naruto, he will be here after you come back from the Academy. He is on his way here," Aoto said, which poured water on Naruto''s expectations, and he sulked a bit around. But Aoto somehow made him think that he would get to see him after school time. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Naruto accepted, but he still sulked. Corazon came to take him away, and that''s when he came to know about the new teacher. But he didn''t ask. Soon everyone was in his place, as that was the ritual, as Kisuke would call them and make adjustments of what everyone had to do on the day. It was there everyone got to know about the new teacher thing. In response, Aoto just went to the gate to wait for Loki while the others followed. Only Unohana didn''t have a bit of care, and Kisuke was just curious. He had seen a real God in his life, and he wasn''t intrigued at all. He knew that being God only meant being a burden and nothing more. The Soul King was one prime example. Aoto waited for half an hour and only after that Loki showed up and he was in his iconic green outfit, minus the cape behind and the horns. Unlike all times, this time the people guarding the gate were not the Uchiha, but some Konoha shinobis. Aoto had seen them around, so he greeted them and from the looks of it, whatever happened on that day with Hiruzen and the Konoha council, it never got out. Even Kakashi had shown up once or twice and he never gave that vibe that something was wrong, or maybe he was too good of an actor. After Loki walked up to the gate, his eyes fell upon the 4 sculptures on the rock. For a moment he looked at them before he turned away and submitted his documents to the guards. Soon he walked in and everyone was curious looking at him. Aoto told them he was a God but from no angle he looked like one. "Where are the 4 hands?" "I was expecting 4 eyes." "C''mon I made a bet that he would be much taller than Corazon. I need my money back." Everyone seemed to be disappointed that he didn''t have some outward exaggerated feature. "Hey.. Have some respect.. You are in front of a God." Loki could see the disappointment and got irriated. "Yeah.. Yeah whatever." Edward said. He had seen God too and he wasn''t that moved. Loki was furious and almost went forward to beat this guy but Aoto stopped Loki and said. "Loki.. Please calm down. They are just children. They don''t know you. A God doesn''t meddle with children." Hearing this Loki did calm down but he still looked at everyone of them. Aoto, not wanting to create a scene, dragged them to home. His colleagues were still a bit disappointed at Loki but didn''t say more as they could see that Aoto really did respect this guy. After they got home, they went straight to the library. It was there that Aoto actually spoke of Loki and his responsibilities. The more the people heard about him, the more they were surprised. "So you are a villain turned hero." Winry said. Loki flinched a bit but nodded. "Well, he did save trillions of lives so that counts as something." Edward said. "So your name is God of Stories or He Who Remains?" Kisuke asked. Loki just shrugged his shoulders and didn''t seem to care what he was called. Aoto could see that even though Loki showed his outward irriated look, he was happy because he was able to interact with people whij sitting on the throne never gave. As everyone was talking Loki looked at Chomei who seemed to listening silently. "What are you?" Loki asked Chomei. 190. Get good son "Eh!" Chomei was taken aback by the question but before he could even open his mouth, Loki lifted his hand and made Chomei static. Static to the tee. Chomei couldn''t even move his eyeballs or blink. The people around who were just curious about Loki finally saw Loki in action and they didn''t expect such kind of attack at all. "What magic is this?" "Did you hurt Chomei?" "Oye.. Release Chomei.. What the hell, why can''t my magic can''t even touch Chomei." Loki didn''t care about the words of others as his hand lit up with green light and threw the fluorescent light at Chomei. Chomei wasn''t even able to react and nor the others expected his attack but then Chomei who was in his human form transformed almost instantly and became the huge beast that he was. Everyone''s jaws fell on the floor because Chomei was very good in illusion magic and Loki just outed him within a second. Chomei was still in static mode and couldn''t even flap his wings, nor could he cry. Loki turned around and asked. "You knew of this?" Everyone subconsciously nodded and thus Loki let him go. Chomei getting his freedom back was angry beyond measure as someone toyed with him. The tailed beasts never liked being toyed or under control and thus Loki handling him in such a way rubbed Chomei in a very bad way. Chomei without any warnings unleashed a barrage of chakra-infused attacks. Loki effortlessly dodged, phasing in and out of reality. "Chomei, calm down." Shiikuro shouted. Everyone screamed the same but there was no such reaction from Chomei. While Loki had the classic smile on his face. The books shelves had already moved far away since the library was self conscious and thus gave two of them space to fight it out. The Seven-Tails, frustrated that it couldn''t hurt Loki at all, unleashed a swarm of chakra-infused insects, each carrying a stinging bite. Loki laughed, creating a temporal shield that slowed down the insects. "Is that all you''ve got, little bug?" he taunted. "Loki, you are not helping. It isn''t the bad guy." Aoto couldn''t help but shout. Loki just replied. "I know but I like the fire in this guy." Loki said. The ground trembled as Chomei charged towards Loki, who calmly surveyed the approaching threat. With a wave of his hand, Loki manipulated magic, creating multiple versions of himself. The swarm of Lokis danced through the air, confusing Chomei. The colossal insect swiped at illusions, missing its target. However, the true Loki appeared behind Chomei, seizing the opportunity to manipulate the timeline. Reality itself bent as Loki rewrote the recent past, altering Chomei''s trajectory. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. The Seven-Tails crashed into an illusion, the impact shaking the arena. As the dust settled, Chomei realized the extent of Loki''s power. Anger burned in its eyes, and the arena echoed with a roar as the Seven-Tails unleashed a devastating Tailed Beast Bomb. The energy sphere hurtled towards Loki, who calmly raised his hand. In an astonishing display of power, Loki froze the Tailed Beast Ball mid-air, creating a temporal stasis field. Time seemed to stand still as the two entities locked eyes. Suddenly, Loki grinned and rewound time, causing the Tailed Beast Ball to revert to its original state. The blast hurtled back towards Chomei, who, caught off guard, tried to evade but was engulfed in the explosion. As the smoke cleared, Loki surveyed his handiwork. Chomei emerged, battered but not defeated. Chomei now was looking at Loki with a hint of awe in its hidden eyes, but didn''t speak outright. The Seven tails went back to his its human form. Loki didn''t push Chomei more and just offered his hand to Chomei. Chomei looked deeply at Loki and then shook his hand. "I could feel the hatred in you and wanted to see if you can let go of it. I was not disappointed." Loki said. "You were testing me?" Chomei asked. "I am going to teach here so of course I will see if you are worthy of using sorcery. I had to face the same from my mother." Loki said. Chomei was angry that he was being treated by some of kind of child but once he remembered how easily he was brought down, he couldn''t say a word and just hung his head. "One day I will defeat you." Chomei said. "I hope you don''t. It''s just painful." Loki replied. Chomei didn''t understand at the beginning but later he did. Loki was burdened as Aoto put it, ''a glorious purpose'' and it was nothing but a huge responsibility. Having huge power didn''t always mean a good life. The others were a bit angry with what Loki did but at the end they were in awe of what he did. The way he took care of the Bijudama wasn''t something anyone expected. Control of time was scary and it showed. "Can you bring people back?" Edward couldn''t help but ask. "Kid, don''t go there." Loki said. Edward wanted to get angry of being called a kid but didn''t say more. He understood what Loki meant and accepted the reality now to the full. After the dust settled, Aoto came forward and pulled Chomei in and let him know that he would be the teacher here. And finally it was time for Aoto to speak up to others. "Well guys, I got access to a new realm to do business." "Business to a new realm. That is cool. New place to explore." Arya said. Magic has made them bolder and open to new ideas very fast. "Oh yes. New realm... New world.. New knowledge." Edward chimed in. Shikuro and Corazon too were excited. Shikuro all his life had been in this world and now due to magic he would be able to visit a new world. That in itself was a huge matter and he couldn''t wait. Aoto just shook his head with a slight sigh and said. "The new realm is not exactly a fun place and some of you do actually know this world." Aoto said. 191. South of the North "Really? Then what is the point of going there?" Kisuke''s excitement died down instantly when he heard Aoto say that the new realm might not be new. But Aoto didn''t care about the words of Kisuke and just opened a portal after asking the system. The portal showed a large forest and a small road tore through the middle like a hot knife on butter. The road was dilapidated and the cobblestones seemed like they didn''t exist as it was covered over years of mud, fallen leaves and an air of serenity which the world of shinobi lacked. "Can''t you just tell us what kind of world it is?" Arya couldn''t help but ask. "What is the fun in that?" Aoto said with a smirk. "So minna.. Let''s go." Aoto said. Loki pretty animated of going to a new realm. Sitting on the throne had made his life very boring and thus getting to know new worlds has been new to him. Without much thought he was the first one to go through the portal, nobody needed a run down of how Aoto''s powers worked so Loki to didn''t ask and honestly, going to different dimensions he could do it too, but the dimensions Aoto opened were new so he couldn''t wait to explore it. Seeing Loki bravely walk through, others did the same. Except for Unohana, who wasn''t interested at all, everyone stepped in. Tessai, Kisuke, Aoto, Yorichi, John, Arya, Shikuro, Edward, Winry and Corazon. The moment they stepped in they felt a rush of cold weather hit their bodies and their bodies couldn''t help but shiver a bit. Seeing the cold wind hitting their cheeks, everyone around conjured cloth out of magic to cover their bodies. This was basic magic, so it didn''t really need any huge amount of magic. "The air seems a bit old. Like something of the old ages." Tessai said while twirling his moustache and looking around. Shikuro and John immediately went to work as they could tell that Aoto was not spilling the beans. They made some insects and butterflies to fly around. These small creatures would scout the area and give them their general location and understand what realm they were in. While the creatures moved around, they walked through the forests. "I would advice you all to hide your faces, because all of you are not very welcome here." Aoto reminded. "So we should use ancient attire?" Jon asked. Aoto nodded and John went back to his long forgotten clothes which he used when he was in Westeros but also made sure to cover the face. The others did the same. Arya and John gave everyone points of how to use ancient attires. Of course all of them felt uncomfortable. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "We can do great clothing business here." Winry said with a laugh as she found the new clothes a bit uncomfortable. "That is true." Aoto added. They were walking in no particular direction and just strolled around and from far they could see a huge clearing ahead but before they could reach the clearing, some of the small creatures came flying back and relayed what they had found when they were around. Shikuro didn''t have any change in his facial expression but John stiffened. Without any thinking he looked ahead and broke into a run. "John... John.. Where the fuck are you running?" Arya shouted but John didn''t hear her words at all. Seeing her brother run like a mad man, made her run too. And seeing Arya run like that, Winry did too. Following here were the others. Aoto had a smirk on his lips, it was then Kisuke said. "It''s their home world, isn''t it?" Kisuke asked. Aoto nodded. "That will be quite interesting." Tessai said. And then both of them walked towards where they ran. They soon came to a huge clearing, which consisted of undulated meadows. And beyond the very lush meadows, one could see a huge castle which was located on the side of a river and outside the castle was a bunch of small quite rundown. But Arya who just followed John to this meadow looked at the castle with her eyes open wide and the next thing she did was turning around and look at Aoto. "That is Castle Cerwyn, isn''t it?" Arya asked taking a deep breath. Aoto nodded his head in response and this made Arya almost jump in joy but the next words of Aoto almost made her fall over her feet. "We might be in the past, but not sure how long before." "What?" Arya asked. "Yeah what I mean to say is there might be two of you." Aoto said. This made Arya''s jaws drop as she couldn''t believe what Aoto just said. Loki, who was standing by, asked. "How much time difference are we talking about?" "I have no idea." Aoto said. "Yes, we have idea." John said as he opened a portal after running back and seeing Castle Cerwyn with his own eyes. Castle Cerwyn was a small castle of House Cerwyn, which was a vassal of House Stark of the North. Technically speaking it was a half a day ride from here to Winterfell but who would walk when someone had magic. John had just opened a portal to Winterfell. Following that Aoto and others walked right in through the portal. And the cold weather that was a bit chilling to Aoto and others, just became a bit more. Everyone around wrapped around their clothes and Edward even wrapped a small sweater for Yorichi to make her feel warm, which the black cat appreciated. They had appeared in one of the open meadows that was far from Winterfell but from their position they could see the huge walls of the Winterfell. The Winterfell from their position looked fine while John and Arya almost had tears in their eyes. They could see that the Winterfell here wasn''t the one after the Night King attacked. So it was long before the raid. Now the question was how long they had traveled back? 192. Home sweet home Nestled amidst the snowy landscape, the ancient stronghold of Winterfell rose proudly, its formidable towers piercing the crisp winter sky. The air was filled with a biting chill. The towers, adorned with banners bearing the sigil of House Stark, stood tall like silent sentinels, their battlements crowned with a delicate dusting of snow. The entire castle seemed to emerge organically from the landscape, seamlessly blending with the wintry surroundings. Aoto could see the struggle in the eyes of Jon and Arya; he could feel that they wanted to just go and ask around to see what was going on around Winterfell and have a proper understanding of which time period they were in. "In order to be sure, put up a disguise with an illusion and make sure that we don''t fess up anything," Aoto said. "Wait, so these two here know this place, and we might be in the past. And meeting their own selves will be fine?" Loki asked. "There is no banner saying that we can''t?" Aoto said. "But that goes against all norms of time travel," Loki said. "Yes, but we are not in TVA, and better still, we are in disguise, so I think that is fine," Aoto said. Loki just shook his head, his hair following the head nod. With that in mind, everyone slowly started walking towards the gates of Winterfell. Aoto was also a bit curious, wanting to know which time period they were in. Soon, they came to the village which was on the footsteps of the gate of Winterfell. As they walked, they came across several men and women living in these huts. "Man, this place is really backward. No offense, Jon," Edward couldn''t help but say as he tried not to let his automail get all muddied. Though it was not required. His automail had an auto-repair and auto-clean function of magic. But Edward was a bit of a clean freak. "We aren''t in your world," Arya rolled her eyes and said. She didn''t care about the insult at all and was just curious about what was going on in Winterfell. As they passed some houses, Jon, in the native English tongue, asked who was the Lord of House Stark at the moment, to which he got the joyous response of Ned Stark. Jon and Arya''s eyes got wet when they got to know that. This was beyond what they expected. Aoto came forward, and he too asked another question. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "Did the King ever visit?" "King? You mean our King Robert Baratheon? You know of his visit too? From what I have heard, he is supposed to be here in two days. The castle is being made ready for his visit," the stranger man said. Some of them were surprised that Aoto could even speak their tongue, as many people here didn''t know the local tongue. "Oh! So he is on the way? That''s good," Aoto said with a smile. Everyone was looking at him with wide eyes, and Kisuke couldn''t help but ask. "You are full of wonders, Aoto." "Yeah, and you are full of shit," Aoto replied with friendly banter. Meanwhile, John and Arya finally got to know which time period they were in. The time period before everything went to shit. Not that it wasn''t shit before, but at least for the Stark family, it did go to shit. Aoto knew the story, so he looked at John and asked as they walked away from the people around towards the castle. "So what do you want to do? Change the future?" Aoto asked. "Of course, we will change the future. We aren''t in the same timeline, so we can just change it in any way we want." It was Arya who replied. John looked at Arya for a second before replying. "Will it be too much if we do change the future?" John asked. "We have already stepped in, and honestly, our presence will already change the future. We can get away from it by removing our time interference, but since we are ready to do business here, it means we are already involving ourselves with them. So I guess you can do what you are itching to do," Aoto said. "Thank you... Thank you," John was over the moon. He was scared that messing with the core things might affect, as he had read enough in the books to not mess with time. But he desperately wanted to save his father and his family, so was his sister. "Then let''s go in," Arya couldn''t wait to go in. They soon came to the huge gate of Winterfell. They were immediately stopped by the guards in suspicion. In response, John showed them the materials. Loki wanted to just manipulate them and force themselves in, but John refused. So before entering the gate, John with his chaos magic conjured some clothes in a huge cart, a show that he was here for business and came from another part of the Kingdom to sell and earn money. Of course, the guards had to check up, and John convinced them that he had more wares on the way and needed the permission of Lord Stark to set up a shop inside the castle, and he had gifts to give to Lord Stark. He even showed them and told them he had better clothes which Lord Stark could present to the King when he would come to visit. John even said that he could choose one for himself. John had made them out of chaos magic, so it wasn''t an illusion. In fact, when Loki came to know that John knew chaos magic, he actually became apprehensive and touched his arm to see how much chaos magic he had. He was surprised that John wasn''t going down the chaos mind route, which was basically witchcraft. Aoto spoke of the reason why John might know chaos magic, and this surprised Loki even more. "Okay, now I am more interested in the magic of this world. Bringing back the dead and not being a zombie. That''s definitely something," Loki said. 193. Where are the horns? As they talked among themselves, John came back with a smile on his face. The grin told that he had gained what he wanted. He whispered to them. "I have bribed them with some fine clothing, and we are allowed to stay here. In a tavern. And I have known this guy before, so I spoke the right words, and he said he will pass on the information to Father so that we can meet him by tomorrow or the day after tomorrow." "Then let''s book a tavern here. I know a good one," Arya said as she pulled them to a tavern close by. "Since when did you know about taverns?" John was skeptical and asked. "Oh please, you know I hated being in the castle all day and being taught how to be a better woman," Arya replied. "So you both are princes and princesses? I have some experience in disappointing my father," Loki said. "I didn''t disappoint my father. I made him proud when I killed the Night King." "Night King? Sounds like my biological father," Loki replied. "Well, in a way, he is like your biological father. Just that he can raise zombies," Aoto commented. The others listened to their banter, and soon they reached a tavern, and Jon couldn''t help but nod. "What are you nodding for? It''s not like we are going to stay here. We will have to leave, or else Ayame is going to drill all of us for being late," Winry said. This made them realize that it wasn''t some kind of vacation, and Naruto was in the Academy and thus needed to go back and also introduce Loki to him, which he had been gushing about. They soon went inside the tavern and asked for rooms. Thankfully there were multiple rooms available. And Aoto went to their respective rooms to show that they were going to live there, but in the next moment, everyone gathered around in the same room. They needed to go back. Aoto asked the system for the way back, and soon they were in the library. "There is no time delay." These were the first words Loki said as he came out of the dimensional portal. "So time is flowing steadily for both sides?" Corazon asked. Loki nodded. "Well, guys, we need to get to work. In an hour or so, Naruto will be here, and I need to update Loki about this world a bit," Aoto said. Everyone nodded and soon left their way to their work while Aoto just went to his shop with Loki, giving him a rundown of the world here and how things worked. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The more Loki knew of this place, the more he was surprised. Aoto even gave him a rundown of the GOT world. "So a boring old Midgard. Nothing major," Loki said after hearing about the GOT world. "Well yes, but there are dragons," Aoto said. "Seems like Muspelheim pissed in their world," Loki replied. Aoto just shrugged his shoulders. Dragons were there in Muspelheim, so he was right in his explanation. As they were talking, they heard someone running outside, and before they could say anything, a kid with yellow hair came running in. He stopped the moment his eyes laid on Loki and just like others, he seemed to be a bit disappointed. This annoyed Loki as he could easily guess his thought processes. "What kid? You expected something more?" Loki asked. "I have read so much about Gods, and I expected you to have two more eyes. Maybe eyes on your hands, two more hands. Maybe even two more legs like a centaur. You don''t even have horns." Naruto didn''t even bother to introduce and spoke of his disappointment straight out. "Horns.. You need horns? Here are the horns, you little rascal," Loki said and then proceeded to grow his horns, but then again, Naruto, who had lights in his eyes, was disappointed again. "Those are fake horns," Naruto shouted. "Oh yea. How about I shut your mouth," Loki said, and in the next moment, his lips got stuck, and he couldn''t say any more words. "This kid is more rebellious than Thor," Loki cursed. "You are his teacher, and he is more rebellious than you can ever handle," Aoto said. "Maybe I made a mistake getting away from that throne," Loki replied and just looked at Naruto, who seemed to be using his fingers to get his mouth open but he couldn''t. This was a hilarious and a comic scene, but Loki just looked at the kid for a minute and then looked at Ken. "That thing is quite powerful." "And that is its half capacity," Aoto said. "Really. I would love to see the full," Loki replied. "Someday," Aoto said. Finally feeling a bit of pity for Naruto, Loki allowed him to open his mouth. *Pant* *Pant* Naruto, getting his freedom back, panted a bit and then looked at Loki as some kind of God and told him. "Teach me this, Master." Naruto said. Loki looked at Naruto with fake disgust and said no. But of course, Naruto wasn''t ready to let go and started to convince him to teach. In response, Loki went to the library, to which Naruto followed like a good kid. Aoto nodded as he could see that Loki was taking a liking to Naruto and knew that he would teach him. Later in the evening, Hinata too showed up to meet her father and to learn magic. She was shy as usual but understood that this man was here to teach them. Shikuro and others were good teachers but they weren''t systematically taught, so having someone who had been taught magic from childhood was a great help for everyone and even for Aoto. Though he knew that they could almost never learn time magic if there were no special circumstances, learning other kinds of magic was fine since he was sitting on the throne, and he must have come across all kinds of magic from different universes, so he had a huge knowledge of them. If he didn''t, he could always allow his mind to go back to the throne and learn from the multiverse. 194. What is this mechanical device? Winterfell, The next day. In order to keep up the charade that they were just regular merchants from a faraway land, John, Arya, and Aoto did come down to the tavern the previous night and had some fun with the locals. John especially had some fun with them as he felt he was back in the old times. This tavern was often visited by his brother and Theon, but today wasn''t one of those days, so even though he was a bit disappointed not to see his brother again after so many years, he was still happy to see the old world again and even live in it. Arya wasn''t that interested, but she did enjoy the booze provided. She had always wanted to come here and have some fun, while being jealous of her brothers. But now that she was here, she didn''t know what she would feel. Nostalgic? Maybe. Sadness? Definitely. The weird emotions made her drink a bit more and got drunk by the end. John was more in charge and thus, at the end, seeing his sister getting all drunk, John brought her back to the room and took her back to the library. The next day she was all hungover, but Aoto gave her medicine to cope with her headache. On this day, Aoto and the duo stayed at the tavern as they might be called anytime. John had already gone once in the morning to make sure that there was a meeting to be held later with Lord Stark. It was around 11 am when the guard who had ushered them inside Winterfell came and said that Lord Stark had allowed them to meet. This made John and Arya jump in joy. All this time, they could have controlled some people with magic and could have forced themselves to meet their father, but they thought otherwise as doing so might have the opposite effect. They wanted to save their father, not make him some kind of puppet. "Excited to meet him?" Aoto asked in a whispering volume. John subconsciously nodded as he really was excited. They followed the guard around. John and Arya felt like they were in some dream where they were walking through the same walls and corridors that they were once brought up in. After some walking up and down the steps and crossing some huge doors, they were finally at the huge hall where Lord Stark sat in the big chair with a long table in front. Beside him was the old and trustworthy Maester Luwin. While on the other chair by the side was the young Rickon Stark. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. John, while entering through the door, seeing his brother, almost choked up, but Arya held him and made sure that his brother was fine. Arya knew what had gone down with her brother, so she too could feel the pain John was feeling at the moment. Ned Stark was sitting on the chair while talking with the Maestar and going through all the arrangements they needed to do, while Rickon was writing some rubbish on a piece of rough paper. Paper would be a too high of a word, it was mostly a piece of leather that could be written on. Paper was still very expensive so high up in the North. Ned after seeing John, Arya and Aoto could easily tell that they weren''t from around here as he had never seen those faces before. John was holding a piece of something that looked like a bag he was carrying on his shoulder while the others were hands free. Before being let inside their bodies were already being checked for weapons and there was none. They were about to meet the Warden of the North and these three were unknown so of course they needed to be checked. After the proper checks, they were let in and soon they stood in front of Lord Stark. "Welcome to Winterfell. I am Ned Stark, Warden of the North. The guards told me that you came from the south. You want to do business here? Where exactly is your place?" Ned didn''t seem to have too much time, so he asked the questions directly. "Yes, My Lord. We come from Salt Shore of Vaith," John replied. "Vaith? That''s one a shithole," Maester Luwin murmured, but Aoto and others heard it and they didn''t mind at all. "So far south? And you came here to talk business with us? Isn''t that too much waste of money?" Ned was a little perplexed and asked. "We have heard a lot about the honesty and loyalty of the Warden of the North. In business, what we want is honesty, as we feel that only this trait will help us establish a good business anywhere. We already have a good business on Vaith, and we needed to expand. What better place to expand than Winterfell?" Arya came forward and said. She knew what to speak at this moment and thus gave a valid explanation. Ned''s face didn''t change at all hearing the subtle flattery as he still felt something was off, but he didn''t ask. Rather, he looked at the bag of John. John, getting the cue, presented the bag and opened the chain. The bag was a modern bag, so Ned was a bit shocked when he saw the chains being opened. He had never seen a mechanism like this for opening a bag, but he did get fascinated. John then opened the bag and presented the things that he had come here with. A mechanical handwatch. John had thought a lot, and he remembered how fascinated he was when he came across a handwatch for the first time and the notion of time being able to be measured. He knew that this thing would sell quite well in this place, and thus he brought out his item and presented it to Ned Stark. "What is this?" Ned was confused as he had never seen such a thing in his life before, so John went on to explain what this was. The more he listened, the more fascinated he became with this mechanical device. 195. Hurt his pride "This thing can measure time and can with me anywhere I go?" Ned asked as he took it upon his hand. He could see the three hands of it rotating. One with a ticking sound while the other two being ever slow. It was really fascinating and he had never seen something like that. Maestar Luwin too now was asking questions on how it worked and how could it measure time accurately. Rickon who was busying with his scribbling soon became interested and was looking at the mechanical thing placed in front of him. "Yes, my Lord." John replied. "How long can it last?" Ned asked as he could vaguely guess that it could not go on forever. "You need to key the handwatch few times for it to work once in a while." John said as he showed how one needed to key the watch. John had thought a lot and at the end decided to use old types of hand watches that could be keyed by rotating a few times once in a while and not the typical battery watches. The reason John didn''t go for battery watches was because he wanted people here to buy from him at the moment and if possible their own curiosity would allow them to dismantle it later and maybe learn how to make a watch themselves using their own brains. It was a far shot by John but he had hopes that the people living in this world would walk towards innovation and not just wars. "As a gift to the Warden of the North, I present the Lord 10 watches." John said as he placed 10 watches in a small box and presented in front of Ned. Ned''s eyes shone but he was a man of principles. He said. "You don''t have to present me. I will pay you the fair price." "No, my Lord. With these 10 watches we hope to establish a stable business and hope we can further the business for more years to come." John said in a humble tone. Ned was adamant and said. "No, you have come a long way in search of a place that can give you security and a sense of loyalty. As long as you don''t betray or deceive us, everything will be fair." Ned again declined. Arya who was nearby could only sigh at his father. It was this honesty and loyalty that got him killed. She nudged at John to indicate what he needed to do. John getting the cue got into thinking a bit and said. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "We understand Lord Stark. Since you want a fair trade, how about you allow us to have a secluded conversation with you and us, while nobody being present around." Jon said very slowly emphasizing each word clearly. But the moment he finished his words, there was a growl from the side. "You dare ask such blatant demands from Lord Stark. I think you have forgotten your place. You don''t deserve to trade at Winterfell or anywhere in the North." The one who spoke was Ser Rodrik Cassel, the master-at-arms of Winterfell. He had been with Lord Stark since before Robert''s rebellion and was a knight. Ned too didn''t like what this man just asked for but he wanted to see how he would defend. The guards around were ready to pounce the moment he spoke out of line or disrespected Lord Stark one more time. "I apologize Lord Stark. We didn''t mean any disrespect. We are just humble traders and you can already see that we have no weapons. Lord Stark here already has his sword which he can use to behead us in one swift swing. We don''t need any money from Lord Stark, we just need a secluded time with him while he can have the sword at his hand. After we have our talk, if Lord Stark thinks of beheading us we will be happy to lay our lives." John said. Aoto hearing his words couldn''t help but sigh. John had struck the pride of Ned and knew that Ned wouldn''t cower down now. "You imbecile. You have come such a long way not to do trade but to talk with Lord Stark and plan to assassinate him. I think we should behead you right now." Ser Cassel had now gotten more angry. But Ned Stark looked at John and Arya. Except for Aoto who was standing back and didn''t seem to be interested of anything the other two couple seemed to really want to talk to him private. He could see that the whole notion of doing business was just a ploy in order to talk to him or maybe assassinate him. He could also see that this man here was just trying to hurt his pride. But for some reason he could feel that these three who had come to him didn''t come to assassinate him. It was just his guts. Ned looked deeply at the couple and declared. "Ser Cassel, Maester Luwin please take Rickon and vacate the hall." "What? Lord Stark, they are Southerners and they are here to assassinate you. They.." Ser Cassel instantly started declining and giving him reasons how it will be dangerous. The guards around had already pointed their spears at the trio and were waiting for a signal to kill these unarmed three ''traders''. "I know what they are Lord Cassel and I have my sword in my hand. If they can really assassinate me even after them being unarmed, then it''s their skill. I know what I am doing." Ned said. "But Lord..." Ser Cassel wanted to convince Ned but seeing the eyes he knew that he had already made a decision. He turned and looked at the trio with nothing but hatred in his eyes. He wanted to kill them here but doing so would be a dishonor. Ser Cassel looked around and thus asked everyone to vacate the hall including the maids who were actively cleaning the hall for the arrival of King Robert. The guards were confused as they too were agreement with Ser Cassel. "Lord Stark, I will be at the door and if you feel like they are crossing the line, you can holler." Ser Cassel said before leaving. "Thank you for that Ser Cassel." Ned said. 196. What a load of BS Soon the hall was empty. Aoto seeing the silence prevailing around, he stepped back and sat on a table. There was an apple on it and he took a bite at it with leisure while John and Arya kept standing. When Aoto moved a bit, Ned who was holding the sword and kept it on the table clenched it and was expecting some kind of move from Aoto but there was none. After clenching the sword a bit, Ned felt a bit embarrassed by the actions of Aoto. This guy was treating the hall as his home. What the fuck is wrong with this guy. "Speak. You have come a long way and even took out this thing in order to talk with me. What do you want?" Ned couldn''t bother with Aoto anymore and asked the duo who were standing. John and Arya took a deep breath as Ned asked them. They moved their hands a bit and in a matter of seconds their real appearance came into the picture. Ned''s eyes went wide as he saw both of them. "It''s been some time. Father." Arya spoke as tears ran down her face. John just stood there stoically, not uttering a word, but one could see that his eyes were wet too. "What kind of bad joke is this?" Ned almost roared as he asked that. He could easily recognize John and Arya here. Though they looked much older than his children but he could easily tell that these two were John and Arya. "Remember the day I found the injured bird in the godswood? You showed me how to mend its wing, and we released it back into the sky. Mother was angry because I again sneaked away and while mending its wings you said that everyone has their own paths in life and I didn''t need to follow the rules always. You said the bird would one day fly south and then come back. That everyone has their home and even though sometimes I don''t like it here, I will be always welcomed." Arya spoke and as she did so, tears seemed to have just burst out from her eyes. She had been holding herself all this time but seeing her father again made all her emotions come out. When Ned heard her say that, his eyes went wide. It had not been even a year that this had happened, and he was sure that nobody was nearby when this went down. So how could this woman say that. He already had the sword in his hand ready to swing at her but now when he heard the story, his hands trembled. He could see the tears and didn''t know why even his eyes were wet a bit. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Arya..." Ned mumbled as he couldn''t believe it because it didn''t make sense. "C''mon out with your emotions Lord Stark. I think her story is proof enough to show that they are your children. Though John here isn''t your actual son, at the end of the day you raised both of them." Aoto said while munching on the apple. Ned shook a bit and looked at Aoto. The words that John wasn''t his actual child wasn''t known to anyone. That was a secret that should have been with him. He looked at Aoto with deep eyes while John and Arya just stood by and waited for Ned to accept that they were his children. "What are you looking at me for? Both of them know that John''s real name is Aegon Targaryen. You thought you hid it quite well?" Aoto said. This made Ned shudder and almost plunge at Aoto to kill him and shut his mouth forever but then he saw John. He could see that John wasn''t affected by the words of Aoto at all. By this time he knew that they were his children. The words of Aoto confirmed that but he didn''t understand what was going on. "Are you really Arya and John?" Ned slowly asked. His voice shaking as he did so. They both nodded their heads. "What is happening?" Ned then demanded to understand. "Father.. We are from the future." John answered this time. Ned looked confused and asked. "Future?" "Yes future. A future where we have grown up. We have time traveled and now we are here. That is the reason why you see us as grown up." Arya replied. "I still don''t understand." Ned said as he couldn''t wrap his head. Arya then explained what time travel was and how they did it. "So you used magic to come back here?" Ned asked as he remembered how their disguise fell off with a simple hand wave. "Uh.. Something like that." Arya didn''t explain what exactly was going on as what she said was already too hard for Ned to grasp but seeing that her father got the gist and believed her made her happy. Ned was in awe. He had never heard something like this before but by now he knew that these two were definitely were his children. Arya and John spoke the same way they used and he also saw the changes time brought to them. John was more confident and knew what he needed to do while Arya seemed to be brave and was ready to take on the world. "So why are you here?" Ned asked as finally the confusion was removed from their part. He could tell that time travel wasn''t just for show and there must be something they needed since they ''time traveled''. "To establish trade." Aoto replied. "To save you." Arya replied. Both of them said at the same time so Ned heard two sentences. "Oh yeah, that too." Aoto said. Ned didn''t care about the part of them saving me but looked at Aoto. "Your name is Aoto right? And from the looks of it you saved them. Thank you for taking care of my children. Seeing that now they know magic and something I have never seen before, I presume it was you who taught them. Thank you." Ned came forward with his hand. 197. You are late as always "Uh! Thanks for not trying to kill me." Aoto replied with a bit of humor. "Well you used magic to time travel so I believe I wouldn''t have been successful anyways." Ned said. "Uh.. Yeah. That.." Aoto didn''t refute him because in a way he was right but it will take time to explain what was actually going on. "So why are you here again you said? To save me?" Ned remembered what Arya spoke before. "Yes father." Arya said. "Tell me more." Ned now sat with them on the lower table and asked for more explanation. Arya then proceeded to tell him about the future, about how he would be made Hand of the King and at the end it would lead to his death after the death of Robert. She also spoke how Winterfell would fall on the hands of their enemies. Arya felt bad but she still spoke how Rickon and Robb would die and how later they would be attacked by the Night King. "The Night King? You meant the ones who died thousands of years ago?" Ned had heard about it as it was written in the annals but he always believed them to be some stories. And though the Wall was there as a testament, he never believed them. "Yes he is real." John said as he could remember what had happened, as if it had happened just yesterday. His struggle beyond the wall, losing the love of his life and everything. "Then what you want me to do?" Ned asked. "Night King isn''t the problem actually." Aoto said. Ned looked at Aoto, wanting more explanation. "Your daughter killed him when she didn''t know magic and now we have more power than the Night King could ever have. I think the better question is how will you save yourself because once you die then the North would just crumble. And your loyalty would just make everything more chaotic." Aoto said. Ned went into deep thought but then he said. "It''s been too much for me and you have traveled far and wide to come here. I heard that you came with more friends. Why don''t you bring them here later and talk while I think of a way to get out of the situation. I will need to consult with the other houses if I need to make a move and detach from the Kingdom." Ned said. He really was a bit overwhelmed and needed time to process what he had just come to know. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Knowing that he would die didn''t impact him the way he came to know that his own wife and two children died under the hands of traitors. This infuriated him more than ever and wanted to just kill those people. "Father, I will not let anyone harm you." Arya said as she could also vividly remember that day in King''s Landing, and how she had to run away. She didn''t want to live that situation again. "Hahaha.. I never expected my own daughter to be my bodyguard. I am now curious, did you really learn magic." Ned asked. In response, Arya just moved her hands and the sword on the main table just vanished from there and was now on her hand. Ned was astonished but also happy. He almost had tears of joy. "You are not disgusted that I learnt magic?" Arya asked. Magic was something of a bit of taboo so she wasn''t sure how her father would take it. "Why would I be? My children now can protect themselves and that is all I care." Ned said. "I think we should leave. Talking more will make the people around more anxiety." Aoto said. Ned nodded and his two children changed themselves with the previous disguise. Ned smiled seeing at it. He rarely did smile now a days but looking at his accomplished children would always make any parent smile. When Ned hollered for the guards to come in, they barged in like some kind of evil was happening but when they saw Ned smiling and talking with the three people, they were dumbfounded. "Lord Stark is smiling? Have you ever seen him smile?" "No.. I have never seen one." "What the fuck did they do?" "I want to fucking know too." The guards and Ser Cassel, including Maester Luwin was curious about the conversation but he didn''t say a word and just said that they should fulfil any wish and trade they needed to do in Winterfell with no questions asked. "But Lord Stark.." Maester wanted to convince Ned to think about it but instead Ned shut him down instantly saying "I have already decided on it Maester Luwin. I can''t tell you at the moment of why I am doing this but one day you will understand. We have a lot of work of to do and I need to go through the books and records." Ned said. "The books.. You are welcome to see them Lord Stark." Maester Luwin said as he was more confused now. Seeing the books and giving a free reign to the foreigners. What the hell was going on? Meanwhile, the trio left for the tavern. Arya and John had a happy face as they had fulfilled a long lost wish and they wanted nothing but to change the whole history of this alternative timeline. They were soon back to Konoha. Both Arya and John were a bit emotional to continue with their day so Aoto gave them a day off. Aoto went on to work on his shop as usual. It was evening when Fugaku suddenly showed up at their home. At that time, Naruto was already in the library. In fact everyone was in the library including Aoto learning from Loki, but Fugaku showing up at his home alarmed the system. So he had to come out. "Fugaku-san, you need to let go of the habit of coming late." Aoto said as he opened the door for him. "I am sorry Aoto, I needed your advice and thus came to you." Fugaku said. 198. Gods among men "Come in." Aoto said as he looked around to see if there was someone as if looking around would reveal if someone was snooping around or not. Fugaku came in and took off the hood that he was wearing. This indicated that he had sneaked away and made sure that nobody knew who he was. After coming inside he took the hood off and sat down. "You really have some worse timings." Aoto said as he served him some tea. "What can I say, after knowing so much I have to be very careful of my actions." Fugaku said as he sipped in some tea. He always loved the tea in Aoto''s home. Made him calm. "So how can I help you?" Aoto asked. "They have already started moving against the clan." Fugaku said. Aoto nodded his head as he knew. Though there had been a huge butterfly affect due to the inclusion of Aoto but something were the same. It was as if the world was trying its best to correct itself. For this reason, Aoto had asked for help from his friends in keeping an eye around. He had asked Yorichi to shadow Shisui, as this was where everything went wrong. And according to Yorichi, Shisui had visited the Hokage''s office twice which was unusual, because he belonged to the police force. And also from he and Itachi had been having more deep conversations than before. They both were best friends but over the past few weeks there had been a bit too much of hush-hush between the two. This was enough for Aoto to know Shisui was following his path. "Oh! Why do you say that? They should have calmed down since you have imprisoned some of the members of the clan who were voicing against the village. By the way congratulations on cracking down on them." Aoto said. Fugaku looked embarrassed and said. "All this time I had my own selfishness but now that I know what is the bigger picture I needed to take some stands. Hoping that the village would see my work and make our lives better but it seems the village is still adamant against us." Fugaku said. The ones who wanted a coup were imprisoned and he did so with evidence of wrong doing against the clan, not against the village. One of them even had some shady dealings with Kumogakure so it was quite easy to pin them down and take them away. The evidence made sure that the people of the clan understood that they were being taken away for harming the clan and not for harming the village. Thus the people of the clan didn''t hold it against the Patriarch. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! This was a great move from the Uchiha clan and was quite the buzz in the village. "So what advice do you need this time?" Aoto asked. "I have noticed that Shisui and my son are getting too close. He has a Mangerkyo sharingan so I fear he might do something that will be a disadvantageous to the clan as he might be brainwashed by my son." Fugaku and looked at the face of Aoto to see if there were any changes when he said that Shisui had Mangekyo. He was really surprised to see that the Mangekyo of Shisui didn''t move Aoto at all. How far did this guy knew? What was written in the books of library to know so much. "I understand Fugaku-san and I have kept an eye on Shisui and your son." Aoto said. Again Fugaku was surprised but he understood why Aoto kept an eye on him. This guy knew so much so of course he would use his force to keep an eye. "The last time you told me that you will help us get out of this mess. Is there any hopes for that?" Fugaku asked. "Fugaku-san, I can help you with the survivability of the clan but I am not sure if you and our clan is ready." Aoto said. Those words came as some kind of wonderful wind chimes on the ears of Fugaku as he was ecstatic to hear that. "But..." Aoto said. Fugaku''s light on the eyes the moment Aoto said but he held on to the hope. "If I save your clan from annihilation, the place where you will move to will be a brand new place. A place which doesn''t have much innovation like here and thus you and your clan will have to start from scratch. Are you ready for that?" Aoto asked. Fugaku took a second and then proceeded to bow down. "As long as you give us a place to escape we will be fine. Even if its an island we are ready to take. I just want to save my family and my clan. And hopefully help the world when they come." Fugaku said. Aoto sighed and said. "Then you should start your preparations. Soon we will help you escape with the clan. It''s your job to convince the clan." Aoto said. "Yes.. yes of course." Fugaku said and then got up. He couldn''t stay here for a long time. After bidding goodbyes he left. After he left Kisuke emerged from the shadows and said. "You know the Uchihas aren''t that great as they are rumored to be." "They have Itachi, Sasuke, Shisui and even Fugaku. I feel like they are better now than they were once." Aoto said. "Sasuke doesn''t seem very special." Kisuke replied. "Well he is since he is the reincarnation of Indra." Aoto said. "Reincarnation? That''s a new one." Kisuke replied. "You want to ship them to Jon''s world, don''t you?" "That is my plan." Aoto admitted to it. "That world is going to see hell." Kisuke said. "Not my problem. That world is fucked anyways and maybe having some Gods will placate some sense into them." Aoto said. "And it won''t be permanent anyways as this world would need them soon." "Aiya.. Now I will have to work on the plan." Kisuke said in a long and frustrated tone. "Thanks Kisuke." Aoto said with a smile to which Kisuke just rolled his eyes and left. Kisuke already knew what Aoto had asked him to do and doing that thing would take time and materials. Thankfully, he had both for the moment. 199. Am I an useless teacher? Few more days had gone by and it was kind of cool on both sides but it didn''t stay that for long. On the Winterfell side, under the blessings of Ned Stark, they were able to build a new shop that sold things that belonged to the other worlds. At first it was just watches and then came the fine clothing. Ned visited them quite often so much so that even Robb showed up once. Arya and Jon who had been in the shop with occasional visits from Loki and Aoto, almost ran and hugged Robb but was stopped by Aoto. The shop''s exterior was adorned with snowflake-shaped signs and icicle lights. The interior was a tasteful blend of rustic charm and modern convenience, with wooden shelves. Behind the counter there was door which led to the warehouse of the shop where the goods could be stored. Jon was the most silent one and though he felt very emotional looking at his brother again after so many years, he knew that it was best for Robb to not get involved at the moment. Ned being the good father he was introduced Robb to Jon and Arya again. It felt awkward for Ned and the duo but for Robb it was a new thing as he had never seen his father introduce him to a shopkeeper, which meant that this shop was important. "Ah Young Prince.. Welcome.. What would you like to buy here." Jon said with his professional sales person voice. He had been in this job for quite some time now and being in the village made him more courteous. His words made Robb a bit embarrassed but he said. "What Young prince? I am just the son of the Warden of the North." Robb said. Though he felt flattered but he knew where not to cross the line. The Young Prince would be the son of Robert Baratheon, the King of the seven kingdoms. "Ah.. I am sorry about my words." Jon apologized and Ned could only shake his head. He could see that John had changed a lot over the years. Jon soon introduced new things in the shop and Robb was delighted to see these new things that this new shopkeeper had brought. He had already liked the new handwatch and now getting to see the new fine clothing had made him want to buy them. He was checking on the clothes when Ser Cassel came up and whispered. "My Lord, there is a runner from the Night''s Watch." Ned didn''t expect a runner from Night''s Watch as he hadn''t seen one in a very long time and he subconsciously looked at Jon. The present Jon was someone who wanted to go to Nights Watch with his Uncle Benjen while the future Jon was someone who had lived there and experienced hardships. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Over the last few days, Ned asked them about their experiences and hardships and he was appalled as he came to know more. John fighting against both the dead and the living, Arya was taken in by some kind of cult who were just like mercenaries. But surprisingly, both of them didn''t say a word about magic. It''s not that they didn''t want to tell Ned about the magical journey to the other world, it''s just the library rules forbade them to do so. They could only speak of magic but not where they learned or their purpose. "Did he say anything?" Ned asked as he was a bit curious now. "The deserter says he saw the White Walkers. What a load of bullshit trying to get out of the guilty." Ser Cassel didn''t believe a word of the deserter but Ned stiffened up when he heard the term White Walkers. He knew that they were coming but he didn''t expect that they would arrive this early. The North wasn''t even ready to face the war, but then he saw the two shopkeepers and their presence gave him hope. "I understand. We will be there soon. Robb go and call Bran and Jon." Ned said. Robb didn''t look irritated at all and left immediately. Jon and Arya, who had been attending to Robb heard what Ser Cassel had said and their face became stiff for a bit. After everyone left, it was only Ned and the duo left at the shop. "They are here. What should I do with the deserter?" Ned asked once he got the seclusion. "Father, you are the Lord of Winterfell. You should know better." John said. "That guy is speaking the truth and killing someone for speaking the truth is not on my blood." Ned said as he felt like that would be a crime. "But he is a deserter." Arya reminded them. "Yes, but he came all the way to warn us probably as the Nights Watch wouldn''t believe him" Ned said. As they were discussing, one guy walked from behind and said. "The wine of this place isn''t good at all. I feel like I am back at that goddamn Vanaheim." The trio who were secretly discussing turned to look at the man who was holding a huge jug of wine and complained. Ned had seen this man before and according to Arya he was the teacher of sorts. "I am sorry for the inconvenience of the wine. Soon there will be wine from Kings Landing and I am sure that you will like it." Ned apologized and he was courteous to him as he was some kind of magic teacher. "That''s fine. What were you three whispering about before?" Loki asked. Loki was here as he had free time and honestly teaching Naruto could be a chore sometimes but he could also see that this guy had potential and his unyielding determination earned his respect too. Naruto was at the school so he came out to take a walk. Arya didn''t waste a moment and spoke of the dilemma. Hearing what she said he looked at Jon and Arya like they were some kind of nuts and said. "I taught you illusions. Can''t you just make an illusion showing that your father killed him and later release him?" 200. A summer snow Robb returned to the quaint shop in the winter town with the younger Jon and Bran in tow, he called out to his father. "Father I have gathered some of the household staff and Theon to accompany us to the deserter''s execution. We are awaiting your orders." Ned was proud of his young heir for taking the initiative and it soothed his mind that Winterfell would be well cared for after his own time under Robb. He wished Jon and Arya farewell and started on the road to Winterfell, intent on picking up Ice and mete out justice to the deserter. The group started their brisk ride to the godswood via the Kingsroad to the meadow where the deserter was awaiting his fate. The sky was suddenly overcast, Winterfell will probably have a small bout of summer snow tonight. Summer snows in the North are a common enough occurrence that there was no immediate cause for concern, nonetheless the whole party hastened their horses and reached the small clearing in a short while. The outriders who initially caught the deserter brought him in front of Ned. When Ned first set eyes on the clearly distressed and dishevelled man he was overcome by a surge of pity. In his other life, he dismissed this man''s true words as ramblings of a madman and that brought ruin upon the North. But inspite of his pity, he could not stop this execution.He was the Warden of the North, and Lord of House Stark and Starks always did their duty. Before sentencing the deserter, Ned allowed him to defend his actions. The crazed-looking man looked up at Ned and with astounding clarity he realized he was living his last moments, he simply said that he saw the white walkers and he knows he is a deserter and he should have gone back to the Night''s Watch and warned them. He said, " Tell my family, I am no coward." Ned knew the truth of these matters but he was Eddard Stark, he had to uphold their traditions in accordance with his position. The snow had already started falling and wind was howling by then as if the Old Gods themselves were against this grave injustice. He thought of Bran and wanted to go back to Winterfell before the snows came. There was my ne possible way this sentencing could go. The Westerosi law was quite clear and succinct. The man had to be sentenced to death. He swiftly beckoned Theon who was holding Ice, to come forward. He took out his greatsword, from its wolfish scabbard. He pronounced his judgment. "In the name of the King of the Seven Kingdoms, the Protector of the Realm; I, Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, sentence you to die". He swung his greatsword and at that moment a sudden blizzard came and the scene was engulfed in a chaotic flurry, everyone lost visibility and rushed to find shelter. As suddenly as it came, the abrupt blizzard cleared and the skies returned to the normal, if slightly overcast version,in just a few moments. The gathered party was greeted by a gory sight of the beheaded beheaded corpse. Eddard thought to himself Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings."The Gods must be furious with me." Nonetheless, in his usual stoic manner, he went to Bran and asked "You understand why I did it?" Bran replied, "Jon said he was a deserter." Ned probed further "But you understand why I had to kill him." Bran understood what he was being asked about. "Our way is the old way" he said. Ned reiterated their traditions "The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword." Bran nodded, but his curiosity got the best of him and he asked his Lord Father "Is it true he saw the White Walkers?" Ned thought that his son had an impressive insight into people as he could accurately guess that the deserter was not lying. But he still thought Bran was too young and tried to reassure his young son who had just witnessed a death for the first time. He tried to be cautious not to inspire too much curiosity in the realm of ancient legends. "The White Walkers have been gone for thousands of years." he said. Bran was too keen and he wasn''t convinced, he pressed, "So he was lying?" Ned thought he should continue to dissuade thoughts about white walkers from Bran''s mind, he was the most eager listener of Old Nan''s stories afterall and said dismissively "A madman sees what he sees." but he thought he should do better and added "But even a madman can sometimes be a messenger for the Gods, I will write to the Lord Commander Mormont informing him of the deserter''s demise and request an investigation into this matter." Bran looked reassured, and Ned called out to the group. " We must make haste back to Winterfell, lest we suffer another bizarre blizzard". He called out to two young servants to prepare the body to be sent back to his village near Lord Mallister''s keep. On the ride back to Winterfell their retinue was blocked by a corpse of a humongous dead stag, it was missing a part of its antlers and it seemed to be a fresh kill. Ser Jory was at the helm and he stopped to inspect. "My Lord, this stag was seemingly killed by some monstrous beast, from the teeth and claw marks it seems to be a big wolf, maybe even a direwolf, the trail seems to suggest the beast was hurt as well," he said to Ned. "There are no direwolves on this side of the wall anymore" Ned reminded him. However, direwolves were the sigil of House Stark and he was seemingly compelled by the Old Gods to search for it. Dismounting from his horse, he followed the trail of blood to a nearby refuge hidden slightly by surrounding trees he found the living embodiment of their house lying dead surrounded by five of its pups mewling and yipping at their dead mother. 201. Why are you here, woman? Then the famous scene replayed where Ned ordered to get the puppies killed but Bran came forward, being the kind boy he was, stopping his father in doing something such horrendous. "You will take care of him, bathe him, train him and bury him." Ned gave his orders and Bran was just happy that he was able to have one for himself and also for his sisters. He was sure Arya would love one for herself. The two servants along with Theon came forward to take the pups. And after taking them in their hands, the two servants who had handled the body of the dead deserter, followed them along with the whole group and within an hour they were back at Winterfell. Ned didn''t speak a word of what had transpired and just went on with his work while the other children just went around to speak of what had happened. The two servants soon showed up at the hall when nobody was around. "Did you take care of him?" Ned asked as he looked at the distant beyond Winterfell while standing on the side of the window. "Yes. Our teacher helped us in making his memory blurry and sent him somewhere, a place where nobody could find him nor recognize him." One of the servant said. Of course, these two servants were disguised and took the face of other servants who worked under House Stark. These two servants were Arya and Jon. And Jon for the first time got to see his oneself so closely. Arya even commented he looked so weird without the beard and he looked so young here. "I hope the storm passes by soon." Ned sighed as he said that. He was scared of the future but also assured because he knew what he needed to do to escape this plight of his family. His family was very important to him and thus it held the utmost importance. He had decided to take matters into his own hands.
While this was happening, something else was going on in Konoha. It was one fine day, that Shisui had come out with a smile on his face. A sense of accomplishment had washed off as he was finally able to finally negotiate the survival of his clan and he would be able to keep his words to Itachi. He knew that the Patriarch had already started to doubt him but he would have to reach a common ground. Here the common ground was that he would manipulate the Patriarch and make him serve Konoha forever. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. But he was happy to early it seemed. As he was on his way to meet the Patriarch, he stumbled and instantly he came to the realization that he was poisoned. He couldn''t understand the reason but when Danzo showed up with the root organisation, he knew that this was a set up and he would be killed. "Danzo.." Shisui was seething in anger when he saw him come out of the shadows. "Shisui.. Kotomatsukami.. A visual jutsu that could create false experiences. Such an amazing ability and you want to waste it to stop a coup. How unfortunate that an Uchiha doesn''t know how to use Sharingan." Danzo said. Danzo went on a ramble how his plans of controlling the Uchiha was a stopgap measure and one day the clan would rise against the village. For this the clan needed to be exterminated. Of course Shisui was having none of it. And thus the fight started with Shisui vs Danzo and his organization. The fight happened just as usual and Shisui, even when he was being poisoned heavily. Shisui was really a genius of Uchiha and he alone was able to take down most of the root organization and almost came out victorious. But Shisui himself was in his way to hell as the poison was too potent even for him. The root organisation had once cultivated poison with the help of Shikuro, so they used that poison on him before. At the end Shisui and Danzo were on their knees but Danzo was still well off. He still had his bandages on his arm and his eye. Just when Danzo was about to take one eye of Shisui, a sword came flying in and just before the hand of Danzo was cut, Danzo backed off. If he was a few milli-seconds late he would have lost his hand. He shuddered with the thought of it. He was also furious thinking who had the audacity to make such a sneak attack on him. He turned to see a woman with a very long hair and a face that seemed like she had just come crawling out of hell. Danzo immediately recognized her. Retsu Unohana. One of the emerging doctors of the Konoha Hospital, there had been rumors that she was better than Princess Tsunade. The root had actually tried to recruit her but she refused to move and Danzo wasn''t that interested at the time as he had other important work to look after. Since Unohana came from outside, he also didn''t trust her and had actually put her under surveillance. But then soon he came to know where she belonged and so out of fear, he took away the surveillance. And then he came to know what had gone down with his colleagues. Danzo''s eyes shone as he needed something to go to war against Aoto. Though he knew that this would be quite difficult as Aoto was too powerful. But then Sarutobi gave a gag order of never to speak again after what had happened in the mansion. Danzo almost was ready to fight after hearing the order with Sarutobi but he only gave the explanation that it was Konoha who had failed Naruto and Aoto, not the other way around. "Why are you here, woman?" Danzo asked as he side eyed to see where Aoto and the rest were as he was sure that they were here. 202. Mommy is here Unohana was in her Captain attire again for this and she had actually been here for sometime now. Yorichi had always shadowed Shisui after the problem of Uchiha became severe so Aoto always knew what was going on. When Shisui as first attacked, Yorichi sent the signal and Unohana was very happy to come in and satisfy her blood lust. In fact, she wanted to take things into her own hands, but stopped seeing how Shisui was so good. She was impressed. But now that the curtains were closing in on Shisui fast, she needed to intervene and that she did. "A dead man doesn''t ask questions as it wouldn''t matter." Unohana said and the way she said sent chills down the spine of Danzo and even Shisui who was on his knees, trying to breathe and get rid of the poison by taking an antidote. The antidote was only delaying the inevitable but it was helping him. "Do you even know who you are threatening. If you even touch my hair, you will pursued and killed by Konoha and no ends of Earth will be able to save you." Danzo threatened. "There won''t be any pursuers if we kill all the high rankers and Aoto already was given the position of being the Hokage once, he can always ask for it again. Besides nobody will come after us if I kill you here." Unohana said in a flat tone with no fluctuation of emotions, as if killing an advisor of Konoha wasn''t a big deal. "You will regret your words." Danzo screamed as he lunged forward, his right arm extending with the rapid blur of kunai. Unohana sidestepped gracefully, her fluid movements belying the strength concealed beneath her elegant facade. With a swift draw of her zanpakuto, she countered, the blade singing through the air. The dance of steel echoed as Danzo employed the Shadow Clone Jutsu, creating illusory duplicates that surrounded Unohana. Unfazed, she swung her zanpakuto in a wide arc, releasing waves of spiritual pressure that dispelled the clones like leaves in a gust. The battle intensified, Danzo unleashed his Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere, creating a devastating gust that tore through the battlefield. But those attacks couldn''t even touch her haori and she just side stepped each attack. Danzo understood that he wouldn''t be able to win here as he was running low on chakra, but he needed to find a chance to get away. Danzo, relentless and cunning, employed his Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique to trap Unohana in a web of sealing symbols. However, Unohana''s Kido expertise allowed her to unravel the intricate seals with ease. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. But when she employed the Kido, Unohana took some time to counter attack, and that was enough for Danzo to just jump away and run far from the battlefield. It was a forest so it was very easy to get away from the line of sight from others. Unohana didn''t pursue him but just opened her shikai. The shikai turned and became an one eyed manta ray. Shisui had never seen such kind of jutsu in his life as he used his sharingan to see what it was. The manta ray landed on the ground as it had 4 very small feet under the body. Then the manta ray did something that gave Shisui more struggles than he had when he was fighting. The manta ray without any indication directly swallowed him. Shisui screamed but she turned deaf and let the manta ray swallow him whole. "You will give him a trauma that he will remember a lifetime." Aoto who had just emerged after opening a portal said. "He will die otherwise." Unohana said as he started braiding her hair to make her seem the same gentle woman she always had been. "I have sent the some evidences of Danzo to Hiruzen as he will try to officially go after me now." Aoto said as he saw the manta ray chewing on Shisui. "Do we care about him? We can get rid of each one of them if we see fit and take the whole village under our control." A black cat which had emerged spoke. "We can, but the different clans which we have here won''t be ever in our control. If I am appointed as the Hokage, none of the clans will listen to me except for the Hyuga and Uchiha. Maybe those three clans will but money isn''t a huge matter for the powerful people here and I have never contributed to Konoha militarily." "So you would like to be the Hokage if given enough influence?" Unohana teased. "Never. I just want to take this world to a new era. A leader in management is required, not someone who is bringing the change." Aoto said. "You are speaking as if you are inventing things." Yorichi just rolled her eyes and said. Meanwhile, the manta ray slowly opened its mouth and let Shisui out. He was covered in saliva but he looked fine now as he slowly got up. He was trying hard to get rid of the slimy feeling while the manta ray vanished and it was replaced by a sword which sheathed itself. Shisui actively checked himself out and was surprised to see no wounds or signs of poisoning. He looked at Unohana with reverence and also fear. This woman was way too dangerous. "Did you help me?" Shisui asked and looked at Aoto. He felt like it was Aoto who had ordered her. "She helped you. You should thank her." Aoto said. Shsiui got embarrassed and thanked Unohana, which she easily dismissed and vanished from her place. Shisui had her sharingan on and for the first time he was able to notice her movement. She was actually moving fast, almost at par with his famous flicker technique. He was called Shisui of the flicker jutsu and those were not just empty words. He was genuinely very fast. But seeing Unohana, he felt like it would be a tough battle between him and her. "And thank you Aoto for helping me here, but I need to go." Shisui said. 203. Who will deceive you? "Go to Fugaku-san and change his mind using Kotomatsukami?" Aoto said as Shisui took his first steps to run towards, but stopped the moment Aoto spoke those words. He had always been a silent and serious guy, but the words of Aoto actually chilled him to the core. Aoto being aware of his plans made him helpless, and for a moment he even thought of killing each one of them and getting rid of evidence because in the back of his mind, Konoha was one top of his priority list. He was angry with what Danzo did, but he never blamed the village for that, and Danzo was just being selfish. He knew that the Uchiha were doomed and they would be eradicated one day or the other. He still held those thoughts. Maybe that was the reason why, even being closer to death, he gave his other eye to Itachi and wished for Konoha to prosper, pushing Itachi off the edge and making sure he would protect Konoha always. "So you heard the conversation. Do you wish to stop me?" Shisui was ready to fight if he was being stopped here. Aoto had a huge connection with the Uchiha due to the business deals, so Aoto was probably on the side of the Uchiha. "Your loyalty to Konoha is commendable. Konoha being in the hands of people like you makes this place much safer and better, but I have to say you are quite the ignorant guy," Aoto said. This made Shisui flinch. He had been called so many things all his life. Genius, strong, stubborn, powerful, and all other good adjectives. Even at times handsome too. But never ignorant. This was the first. Being called ignorant did really hurt his pride, something which he never expected himself to harbor as he always carried himself humble. "What do you mean?" Shisui asked. "Come with me. And after knowing the whole story, if you still want to push Uchiha into the brink of destruction, then it''s your wish. Oh yes, Itachi, you can come too." Aoto spoke the last words quite loudly. Soon there was a rustle of leaves from the side, and a quite young but mature-looking teenager walked out. Aoto hadn''t seen Itachi around after his enrollment in the roots, and thus he hadn''t seen him much. Seeing Itachi again reminded Aoto of the story of how this guy showed his girlfriend a life with him before he proceeded to kill her. Quite the story it was; thankfully, it wouldn''t happen the same this time. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Aoto opened the portal and walked in followed by Unohana. She didn''t really seem to care. Seeing Itachi, Shisui got some bravery because he and Itachi were best friends, and if push comes to shove, they could escape together. After sighing a bit, Shisui pointed at Itachi, and they soon stepped through the portal. They had heard rumors about this space-time jutsu of Aoto, but saw it for the first time. As soon as they stepped in, they were welcomed by a place that they never thought existed in this world. A huge library laden with books that seemed to be unending. It seemed more magical than any kind of place they had ever visited, and they were sure that this wasn''t some illusion because their Sharingan would have alerted them anyway. "Welcome to my library," Aoto said as he used magic to shuffle a table and let them sit on a chair. Soon, they were served with tea. Itachi and Shisui were speechless as they tried to take in what they were witnessing. "Fugaku-san had the same reaction when he first laid his eyes here." Aoto said as he sipped om some tea. "Father came here?" Itachi was surprised that his father even knew of this place because from a clan point of view this hidden place that Aoto had access to should be termed as huge place. Any place that was this magical definitely would be interesting to any clan and his father didn''t even utter a word about it. What was going on? Where was this place? "Of course, why do you think he took measures against people of his own clan recently?" Aoto said. They got the shock of their lives. Recently Fugaku had gone for the many clan members and came out of evidence that rocked the clan. Especially after someone turned out to be a spy of Kumogakure. He was strict and swift in his actions, with the man being executed in front of everyone. This surprised the whole of Konoha as there never had been such a case before. "What did you tell him?" Now Shisui was interested. There must be something that Fugaku came to know that changed the whole trajectory, and thus he was curious. "Sure. Let''s start in the beginning...." Aoto then went on to speak about the their history but this time he was more thorough. He spoke of the two aliens and how one betrayed the other and all of that. Though Aoto never watched Boruto, he kind of knew of the story and thus gave them a rough overview of how Kaguya came to eat the God fruit and how her sons later came to be the originators of the chakra. He spoke of how the betrayed alien was still alive looking for a vessel. Aoto also spoke of the fact how Madara was still alive after that battle went on to awaken Rinnegan in the later stages, but since he was about to die he made a grand scheme by manipulating another genius Uchiha and made sure that his Rinnegan eyes be continued to be used, which was now in the hands of the fake leader of Akatsuki. The more they heard, the more they realized and horrified. "You know of the guy responsible of that night attack?" Itachi asked. He and Shisui kind of believed him because everything he spoke made sense. The attack of the night, all the history. This was quite the eye opening. But of course, both of them would have to see if what he spoke was correct or not or were they being manipulated. 204. We have a dead man walking "Yes." Aoto replied. This surprised both of them and then ager came down on them especially Shisui. "If you knew the man who did why didn''t you tell Konoha? Why did you hide and let us be in the dark all this time. This problem between the Uchiha and Konoha could have been avoided all this time. Hell, even your parents died under this man. Why would you shield him?" Shisui asked and he almost shouted. One could see the tea cups shaking because Shisui was too animated at the moment to even care about the surroundings and the vast library. Itachi held his hand over his shoulder to calm his friend down but at the moment he too had the same kind of emotions albeit quite the controlled one. Aoto was a bit surprised that Shisui could even show emotions at this level. Seems like he still had emotions to show to the world. "There are multiple reasons for that. One, Konoha isn''t ready to handle this man. 4th hokage was able to defeat him after much struggle and problem. Though he did win, at the end he lost his life. And even if we can defeat him, we can never catch him nor kill him. 4th hokage tried and he was unsuccessful. Two, it''s too late to go after him and the people that are supporting him are powerful. Konoha will lose a chunk if they go after him. And third, but the most important, going after him won''t solve the problem. Madara is behind that guy, so until we destroy Madara forever, its useless." Aoto said. This made the duo speechless. "How is Madara behind all this? Didn''t you say that he died?" Itachi asked. "Ninjutsu is a very marvelous thing. You just need to know some hand signs and voila! A dead man is brought back to life." Aoto said. At first both of them didn''t understand but then Shisui said. "I heard that the second Hokage once invented a jutsu to bring dead people to life and control them." He murmured those words, not even sure if what he heard was the truth. Aoto just continued looking at them and put up a smile. He silence was enough to prove that what Shisui had known was probably the truth. Shisui and Itachi were silent for a whole 10 minutes as they needed time to digest of what they had heard. Itachi suddenly asked. "You spoke of reincarnations. And that Madara and Hashirama were the previous ones. Do we have the current reincarnations?" Itachi asked as he was thinking hard of what Aoto had said. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Itachi Uchiha... They said that you are one of the greatest genius the Uchiha clan has ever produced. Some even argue that you are better than Madara. I now understand why." Aoto said. Those words made Itachi blush a little. "Who.. Who said that? I am just a shinobi of the Konoha." "What do you think of this library?" Aoto asked instead. Both of them looked around and Shisui said. "This place isn''t in the real space time. At least not in the same space time as ours." "Hahaha.. I am impressed. Your Mangekyo isn''t wasted on you. Yes, this place is in different space time and the knowledge here is forbidden and only accessible by a few. Maybe I will allow you to read them someday. This library has shown me things that people might not imagine that our world could be like that. Anyways, answering to your question, yes. The two reincarnations have already been born and living well." Aoto said. "This library is so powerful?" Shisui thought but seeing the volume of books and how magical everything looked, he couldn''t refuse the words of Aoto on the spot. Itachi too was mesmerized by the library and wanted to know but there were more crucial issues at hand. "Who are they?" Itachi asked. "Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha." Aoto spoke the truth. Those words set a whole lot of emotions in the mind of Itachi and Shisui because they never expected that Itachi''s brother would be one. The truth was Shisui thought Itachi would be the reincarnation while Itachi thought vice versa but Sasuke being the reincarnation was not something he expected. Itachi''s face contorted thinking of his younger brother''s future problems. And then he steeled his heart. He needed to pave a way for his brother no matter what. He was ready to go to the depths of hell. "How do I kill Madara, his pawns and the so called aliens?" Itachi asked. Shisui looked at him and understood where this was coming from. "In the current situation? You can''t. Even with Mangekyo, Eternal Mangekyo and the Rinnegan it would be a long shot to come out victorious against the aliens. Madara isn''t a problem. His machinations will only bring the shinobis together. People need a common enemy to come together and thus having Madara is a boon since it will bring the world together, giving us the main reason to fight against the aliens." Aoto said. "How do we fight them if you say that they are this powerful. It took so many days to defeat one person how can we face many of them?" Itachi asked. "You always said that there is always a vulnerability. You have time and resources so start finding them." Aoto said. Itachi had always prided himself for finding the vulnerability of his opponents. This would be a mission of his life if he could find the vulnerabilities of an Otsutsuki. And it will be the same for Shisui. "Since you have spoken with my father, I believe you have already thought of how to save the clan. What do I need to do?" Itachi asked. He already gave himself a new mission and he would have to work for it. This was bigger than Konoha at this point and the world just became broader for him. "Talk with him. He will speak in details." Aoto said as he didn''t want to reveal on this as he was sure Fugaku had his own plans. 205. He will hate your forever Aoto didn''t say more and just sent them away to their home. Of course, Itachi and Shisui were kind of skeptical about what they had seen and wondered how Aoto could show his ''treasure'' so easily. But they soon realized how powerful Aoto was. While on their way towards Fugaku''s home and crossing the gate, they wanted to talk about the library, and there were some people around. They wanted to approach Fugaku without raising any suspicions, so they didn''t run; instead, they just casually walked. But when they talked about the library, their voice seemed to stop as they felt someone had started choking them. At first, they thought it was another sneak attack from Danzo and others, but soon realized it was none of that, and only when they talked about the library did they have this feeling. It was some kind of seal on them. And the crazy part was they didn''t even realize that a seal was put on them, even though Itachi had always used his Sharingan to make sure that there wasn''t some kind of illusion on them. They instantly checked each other to find the seal, but they couldn''t find it. "The only seal I see is the one on your tongue because of your involvement with the Root," Shisui said. Itachi got embarrassed a bit, and soon they found themselves at his own home. As he entered his home with Shisui, he felt a tug on his trousers. Itachi looked down only to see a young girl pulling his trousers and looking at him with wide and happy eyes. Itachi''s iron heart melted as he picked her up. "Lyanna, what are you doing here?" "Ni-san, mom went out to bring brother home," Lyanna replied, signifying that she wasn''t under some kind of strict surveillance. After Lyanna was born, she was kind of the golden child of her father, and seeing that Mikoto took the approach of strict parenting. For that reason, she feared her mom a bit. But as usual, she was the apple of the eye of the two brothers, and they showered her with love and affection. Seeing his sister again, Itachi felt a pang in his heart. He needed to atone for his mistakes. "Go play with the chicken outside. I will come to play with you after I talk with father," Itachi said. Those words brought happiness to Lyanna, and she replied. "Really? Then we can play after brother comes back?" Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Yes, we can play." As Aoto had said, he had been looking at the world from behind a narrow hole, and now that his world just got larger, he needed to work towards the common goal. Not only for Konoha but also for the world. He needed to take the burden alone. Soon, both of them were at the main office where Fugaku was working. He was looking through some accounting books when Itachi knocked. "Come in," Fugaku said. He was surprised to see Itachi and Shisui coming together. He had been wanting to have a conversation with them. "Sit," Fugaku said as he proceeded to close the accounting books. He was curious about what they wanted to talk about, especially his own son, who had derailed from his path. "Father, we have something to tell you," Itachi said. "Go on," Fugaku put on his usual dad-serious mode and replied. It was Shisui who spoke. "We met Aoto." Those words were enough to send various signals to his brain, but he still put on his calm and serious demeanor. "So?" Fugaku asked, not admitting to anything. He had seen the library and the secrets it held, and he also knew of the seal. Thus, there was no way he would let out anything, nor could he. "We... We saw the library," Itachi replied and was a bit surprised that he didn''t feel like there was some kind of seal in his words. This was enough for Fugaku to know what they had seen. He took a deep breath and then said. "So, you know who our enemies are," Fugaku stated. Both Shisui and Itachi nodded. "That makes it easy. Aoto will help the Uchiha settle in a very different place. A place away from here, or as Aoto had put it, in a different world. Itachi, you know what you have to do?" "Yes, find out all of the traces of the aliens and eliminate them before they can come back in full force," Itachi said, this time with full conviction. "But how are you going to plan the Uchiha suddenly disappearing?" Shisui asked. This made Fugaku smile, as Aoto had already told him of his full plans. The more they heard, the more surprised they were. "This is going to piss Sasuke off," Shisui lamented. "According to Aoto, he is the reincarnation of Indra. I am proud to be a father of such wonderful children. He will grow up and soon learn the truth of the world, but for that, he needs to go through fire. This will be his trial," Fugaku said. "He will hate you," Itachi said. "A small price to pay for surviving the apocalypse that is going to hit us," Fugaku replied. This made Shisui sigh. There was a weird silence in the room, only to be broken by the voice of Sasuke entering the home along with his mother. "Go, your brother needs you," Fugaku said. Itachi nodded and left, leaving Shisui behind. "You are here, so I believe they tried to attack you," Fugaku asked. "Yes, they tried, and they would have almost killed me, if not for Aoto and his friends," Shisui said. "He will be in quite a tricky situation. He had already attacked the other elders and now even Danzo. Hokage-sama wouldn''t let this slide so easily," Fugaku said. "Should we help him?" Shisui asked. Fugaku shook his head and said. "No, they can always escape, and it''s for the good of Konoha to keep him. The money he is bringing to Konoha has reached almost equal to all the other four villages combined. Konoha can''t lose that. He had been planning this for a long time. I am sure he is prepared. He will ask for help if he needs one," Fugaku concluded. 206. What do you want? "I hope you will think straight. You have Mangekyo, use it wisely." Fugaku said as Shisui got up and ready to leave. Shisui was surprised that Fugaku knew about it and he felt like Aoto wouldn''t just snitch on him. This meant Fugaku had always known. Then it hit Shisui. The reason why Fugaku knew of his Mangekyo was because, he himself had one. Shisui wanted to ask but this was not the right moment. They had discussed a lot in the past hour of how they would proceed with the plan Aoto had chalked up for them so he needed to get to work immediately. While Shisui went on to prepare for the upcoming plan, in the evening, Aoto had a guest. Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Good evening Aoto." "Good evening Hokage-sama, come in." Aoto said as he ushered him in. One could easily see the sadness in the face of Hiruzen. Not because of the attack on Danzo but the fact that they had lost contact with his other son. Aoto had only met his son once and mostly interacted with Asuma. Asuma was the better of the two and was kind of a genius. Though Hiruzen treated them equally, he still hoped that his son could do better. He was happy when he came to know that his son was going to get married almost after the death of his wife. The marriage brought lot of joy in the life of his. But now his son was missing and from the looks of it, he was probably dead. He also recently came to know that his daughter-in-law was pregnant. The news and emotions were kind of wild, but he didn''t have time to mourn because his friend had come back with the bearer of grave news. When he came to know what had happened between Danzo and Aoto''s friends, he was furious. he didn''t give any orders to go after Shisui and this man went on to kill him. Of course Danzo didn''t want to speak at first about this and only spoke how Unohana attacked him and his organization. He had known Aoto well so him actively participating in any political drama felt way out of line. Once he pressured his so called ''friend'', truth was blurted out. For the first time in his life, he felt like executing this ''friend'' of his. He had turned a blind eye to many of his causes, but the fact that he tried to kill Shisui, someone who was actively trying to close the rift between them and Konoha. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Hiruzen disbanded the Root organization and asked to send over all the Anbu members with the seal being removed. And each seal would be removed by Danzo himself in front of Hiruzen. Of course, Danzo protested and asked for an audience with the other council members. The response from Hiruzen was - "Do you believe they will ever want to touch Aoto after what he had done before and what he had done to you. You better disband and hand over all the members to me. I will see what I will do with them and send to missions." This really made Danzo mad and almost was ready to fight. But Unohana had inflicted quite the pain. And in addition, he was also poisoned by Unohana. A poison which he hadn''t seen before. This almost made him bed ridden and it was sheer will power that brought him to the door of Hiruzen, only to be humiliated back. But Hiruzen also needed to talk with Aoto and thus he arrived after meeting his daughter-in-law and consoling her. His heart broke seeing her like this but he needed to be strong for the sake of the village. "I am sorry for your son. Hope you will be able to find him." Aoto said. The news wasn''t some secretive news, so he knew what was going on. "Thank you, I hope and pray for the same." Hiruzen said. Aoto served him some cake for him to eat while talking with. Hot Pie has been great cakes recently and he thought of serving that. Hiruzen also loved the taste. The things made by Hot Pie by now were well known in Konoha, and they almost make a queue early morning. By afternoon, the sales are almost done. This goes to show how popular Hot Pie was. "Aoto, did you mess with Danzo again?" Hiruzen didn''t beat around the bush and asked. "Yes." Aoto too didn''t seem to hesitate in answering. "Hmm.. But I thought you are not interested in political drama and matters." Hiruzen asked. "I don''t, but that doesn''t mean I am an idiot. Killing them will mean less customers for me and who will distribute my business in the Fire nation and the neighboring countries. They have already established supply lines and I don''t want to break them." Aoto said. Hiruzen was surprised by the answer. He expected Aoto to speak about how they should maintain peace and tranquility and he intervened because he cared about Konoha. But no, this guy was still only interested in the money and how he was trickling money through the Uchiha. "Is that all you care about?" Hiruzen asked. "Humans die and reborn every single day. One day, I will die to and in a few hundred or thousand years, depending on how famous I was, would be remembered. My works will turn to dust and all the power play which you are playing at the moment will just turn to ashes. I want to live my life here without any burden, so to answer your question I only care about my luxury and free life." Aoto said. Hiruzen had heard this view of his last time too but he didn''t pay much attention. He thought that Aoto only said this because he was turning too much philosophical. One tended to think that if one person ever reached a sense of peace in their mind. But now he thought different. If Aoto never cared about his legacy, why was he trying so hard to keep a legacy. 207. Favors for favors Adopting Naruto, teaching him new moves, the techniques that were supposedly exclusive to his family, and even making a powerful empire. His friends were powerful, to say the least, and Hiruzen wasn''t stupid enough to not see his moves. And until now, he was never politically motivated. So what was his plan? And there was another fact. For the first time, Aoto didn''t show much respect for him. But he couldn''t blame Aoto for that. His decisions had almost hurt Naruto, so he could also overlook it, but the fact that Aoto didn''t seem to show him the previous respect did make him uncomfortable, but there was nothing he could do about it. He deserved it anyways. "You have done everything possible to make your name known to nearby villages and Konoha. I am sure you will be remembered for a long time. Maybe longer than me," Hiruzen said. "Hokage-sama, we both know that you aren''t here to talk if I was interested in political drama or not. You just want to know if I am supporting the Uchiha or not. Isn''t that right?" Aoto straight away asked him. Hiruzen almost choked on the fluffy cake, hearing how clear Aoto was. He looked deeply into the eyes of Aoto, trying to find if Aoto was trying to deceive him, trying to get the upper hand in the conversation and the situation that Konoha had found themselves. "Do you support them?" Hiruzen asked. "No. I owed Shisui a favor for helping us in the first process of using prosthetics. If Konoha wants to go after them, they can, and I have already washed my hands off it," Aoto said. This surprised Hiruzen, as he didn''t expect that Aoto was only returning the one favor the Uchiha did to him so long ago. Now the prosthetic business was quite a boom, and even surrounding villages have come forward to buy from them. This had also given Konoha quite the leverage, made Konoha stronger both internally and externally. "The Uchiha will be a protected clan from now, and Danzo went above board, as I hadn''t given any such orders to go after Shisui and the Uchiha clan," Hiruzen said, while Aoto nodded. They both knew what the whole story was, but none of them spoke about it. They just acted dumb to each other. "But it can''t be denied that your friends tried to hurt one of the people of Konoha. This can''t be looked over," Hiruzen stopped after saying that. He wanted to see how Aoto reacted to it, and to the surprise of Hiruzen, Aoto was still calm. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "How do you wish me to compensate you?" Aoto asked. "I am thankful that you understand the laws of Konoha. I want your friends to get evaluated as ninjas and work for Konoha," Hiruzen said. Aoto shook his head and replied. Hiruzen was quite happy that Aoto didn''t outright reject. If he did, Hiruzen was ready to bring Aoto down, he was a genius but a genius needed to be under control or else it would turn sour pretty soon for Konoha. "No. They will never be evaluated. At best, you can ask them for missions, and they will accept or reject depending on their mood. I will never force them to do anything," Aoto said. "That is not enough. Many of the Root ninjas are in the hospital after what one of their own doctors did to them. This can''t be overlooked," Hiruzen insisted. "That is too much. How about the previous arrangement I suggested, and I owe you a favor. If you need help in any kind of bad situation, we will help you get out," Aoto proposed. These words surprised Hiruzen because he didn''t expect Aoto to be that confident, where a day would come for him to ask for help from Aoto. He didn''t look down on Aoto or something, but he never felt like he would need help from him. But then the way Aoto''s eyes looked at him made him feel as if Aoto was sure that he would be able to save him. "You seem to be confident that I will need your favor," Hiruzen inquired. Aoto just smiled at him. Hiruzen took a deep breath and proceeded to nod, signifying that he would accept the deal. "Good. They will be registered as ninjas from now on in Konoha. Since you don''t want them to be evaluated, they will start from genin, and depending on the success of missions, they will be promoted," Hiruzen said. Aoto nodded, as he knew the whole process. But he still had a question. "Hokage-sama, I just assaulted all of your friends, but how come you still trust me and my friends?" "Because we old people need to get out and make space for the new ones. I really hope that you can be the next Hokage. Only then can Konoha prosper in peace," Hiruzen expressed, to which Aoto just rolled his eyes. Both of them spoke more about the missions they would be given and how they would have to work under a jonin. Of course, Shikuro didn''t need one as he was already a jonin and would be leading his own team. "Kisuke might not accept many missions as he is the manager of our company," Aoto said. Hiruzen was a bit disappointed as he felt he would get a better gauge of his abilities, but he couldn''t be a roadblock always. Kisuke would be asked to do one mission every two months at least, while the others one to two missions in a month. Each mission not exceeding a week. This was enough. The starting missions would be D-level missions anyway, so Aoto knew that they would be easy, and in later stages, it was a question if Hiruzen would still be the Hokage or not at the time. After this was done, Hiruzen asked for forgiveness for what happened to Naruto and also hinted to stay away from the Uchiha for a while as he needed to decide what to do with them. The Uchiha had recently calmed down a lot, but he was reluctant to trust them. There was always a fear that they would rise up in the future and cause troubles for them. 208. We have crazier ones "I think he is suffering from PTSD," Unohana remarked as she emerged from the shadows after Hiruzen left. "He is experiencing too many emotions. Grief, anger, regret, helplessness, and sadness. Maybe that is the reason he is acting so weirdly. Seriously, we need a therapist in Konoha, not just lobotomy maniacs," Aoto said. "Oh, there are ones crazier than Mayuri?" Unohana expressed surprise that there were people with the same level of craziness as Mayuri. "He is more cruel and deadly than that," Aoto clarified. Unohana was curious about these maniacs but didn''t inquire further as she had other things on her mind at the moment. "So, I will have to go around and kill people?" Unohana asked as she heard that she would be drafted. "Not in the beginning. You might have to run around and catch some cats, kill some animals, and maybe escort some things around. So it is very easy for you," Aoto explained. "Can I get to kill people?" Unohana inquired, her devilish side threatening to rise up. "Yes, at times you will be asked to kill," Aoto assured her, which made her smile inwardly but didn''t show it. After Hiruzen left, Aoto called for a meeting of all his employees and informed them of what Hiruzen had asked of him. None of them seemed to care; in fact, some of them were happy to hear it. Corazon and Arya had always wanted to go out and experience the world on their own. Doing missions would give them a sense of the world. Aoto didn''t anticipate this reaction. He was a home person to begin with, so going around wasn''t in his rulebooks, but seeing that his friends were happy, he was relieved. "So tomorrow, show up in his office and register yourself as a genin. Your missions will make you climb the ranks. Only Kisuke will have a lower number of missions than the others since he has a bigger responsibility," Aoto said. "Hey, I am a helper of his; why am I being treated the same?" Tessai complained. Aoto just shrugged his shoulders, as he didn''t ask Hiruzen for more. If he did, it might have crossed some boundaries. Aoto knew why Hiruzen wanted this. Doing missions was a way to make them have a sense of belonging to Konoha. At the moment, these friends of Aoto only belonged to him and not the village. They were powerful, and together they could create quite a ruckus, as Aoto had seen last time. With this order, he had divided the powers and also added to the main strength of Konoha. Even if Aoto didn''t attack Danzo, he would still be asked to do so, but Danzo''s incident just cemented the situation. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. He didn''t care what Hiruzen was cooking, as his days were numbered, and he was too old to bring about any major changes. Well, except for the Uchiha. Aoto wanted to see what Hiruzen would decide.
While this was happening in Konoha, something else was unfolding in Westeros. King Robert''s arrival was almost imminent. Actually, it shouldn''t have happened so early, as Jon Arryn was supposed to die much later. At least a year later if Aoto remembered correctly. However, for some reason, he died by accident while in one of his hunting parties and was buried. Littlefinger and his side partner didn''t need to play the long game to kill Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King. And since King Robert needed a trustworthy person, he took a long ride to Winterfell to try to convince Eddard Stark. Aoto was surprised to hear about it when Arya spoke. The butterfly effect was too strong here, it seemed. They hadn''t even settled down well, but his fast arrival would also help Aoto, as his new products would be sold just because the King would be there. Who could be a better marketing salesperson than the King himself? And Aoto wanted to capitalize on him to make his products well-known in the Kingdom and beyond. The system hadn''t given him a strict deadline for the number of products and the reach, so he could only do it to the best of his abilities. Due to Robert''s arrival, Winterfell had already started to be redecorated. Of course, Jon and Arya (future) wanted to help and make it to the highest standard possible in the given time. And suffice to say, when Eddard Stark saw the new hall, he was surprised to say the least. The once stone walls of the hall were now adorned with intricate wooden panels featuring traditional Japanese motifs. The deep, earthy tones of the wood perfectly complemented the starkness of Winterfell''s surroundings. The long wooden tables were set with low, cushioned seating reminiscent of tatami mats, replacing the usual Northern long benches. Overhead, paper lanterns in various shapes and sizes hung gracefully. Even the armor and weaponry displayed along the walls took on a new aesthetic. Swords and shields were adorned with intricate lacquerwork and delicate inlays, transforming them into works of art that seamlessly blended the Northern warrior tradition with the precision and craftsmanship of new kinds of weaponry. "The sentinels surrounding granted you leave to enact such numerous alterations?" Eddard asked jokingly when he saw the newly decorated and clean hall. The cleanliness was what struck him the most. There was almost no bad smell, and everything looked pristine. "Had to clean around a lot to make them allow us. And, of course, your patronage helped," Jon said. "These novel fashions¡ªdo they pertain to your world?" Eddard asked. "More or less," Jon replied. "I like it," Eddard smiled and said. "Don''t like it too much; you won''t be here for much time to enjoy the cold weather here," Arya sneaked in from behind and said. "When did you sneak in?" Eddard didn''t even realize when Arya had sneaked in. "Just now. With magic, I can always make myself invisible," Arya said, proud of her skills. 209. Touch茅 Ned just looked at his daughter with wonder. When he first came to know about his daughter and son from the future, and seeing how they had grown up, as a parent, Ned took it hard. He was more disappointed that his children had to face such hardships while he, who went by the code, got the axe so early. He was determined this time to do right by his children. Codes were something that would go out of the window once the White Walkers were here. He was silent for a bit and out of habit, he petted the head of Arya. It was an involuntary reaction and had to take away his hand because the face wasn''t Arya''s to begin with, and people would start questioning him if anyone saw it. Thankfully, none of them had caught him in the act. Arya felt a bit dreamy seeing her father so close to her again, and this time she was determined not to lose her family. "When are they coming?" Arya asked. "About 4 hours away. They have already tidied up their tent and are on their way here," Jon said. Ned was again surprised that Jon could even tell their location and movement. In the military, this information-seeking ability of his would be quite useful. Ned didn''t idle anymore and went around spreading the fact that the King would be here in a few hours. Winterfell was bustling upon hearing the news. Arya and Jon (future) came to the gates to look at their arrival while the Stark took the position of the hosts. "The mud here gives me the ick," Arya (future) spoke as she waited for them to arrive. "Ayame did really make your language change," Jon said. They had been speaking Japanese so nobody would understand what they were saying, and to blend in well, they also spoke in a very low volume. "You should have seen my other variant. They are more wacky." Out of nowhere, Loki appeared near them, and unsurprisingly nobody noticed that someone just appeared out of thin air near them. "Loki, can you not scare me." "Hold on young madam, I am the teacher Loki, not just Loki," Loki replied. "Yes.. yes.. we know, you are the God of Stories, the One who Remains.. Blah Blah.." Arya just rolled her eyes and said. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Getting compliments from you makes me feel that I didn''t achieve anything in life," Loki complained. "Well, you did try to storm a huge city and bring a whole realm under you," Jon said. "Touch¨¦," Loki replied. As they joked around, finally, they heard some commotions, and saw a young kid running and soon found himself among the Starks. This was young Bran who had climbed the tower to watch the arrival of the King. Seeing from far and getting confirmation, he came down. Of course, he was berated by his mother, Catelyn. Arya and Jon just smiled, seeing their brother''s behavior from far and didn''t say a word. Soon, the King was here, and the duo got to see the same procession that had happened years ago. At that time, they were very young and were excited to meet the King. But now, living the life in Konoha and learning the knowledge of the multiverse, they didn''t have any emotions for a King that didn''t even know how to operate a Kingdom. Konoha has its darkness, but it was much better than this ridiculous 7 kingdoms and high names. She and Jon alone could raze these so-called Kings to the ground. They just bowed customarily, and even Loki bowed down a bit, which was a bit weird. Because Loki never bows before anyone, so this was a first. The King came down and greeted Ned, while the Queen and his child too came down later from the big wheelhouse. The Queen''s wheelhouse stopped right near Jon, Arya, and Loki. So the moment, the Queen came out, the first she saw was Loki. The Queen gave Loki a stare that lingered for a while, and then just walked away, followed by her son and the rest of her guards. Arya and Jon did notice the stare but didn''t think much of it, but Loki felt a secret chill in his spine. Not because he was afraid of her or something, but somehow he felt a bit cornered. It was very weird for Loki to feel like that but he had seen those looks before in Asgard and it wasn''t a very good experience later. The Queen went forward and met the Stark family while Ned and Robert went to the crypts. "That asshole," Arya hissed when she laid her eyes on Joffrey. She wasn''t present when he was killed but she would happily give away 10 years of her life just to kill him a thousand times. Both Jon and Arya had the same feelings. Though Jon was less animated about it, he was still very angry after what had gone down. "We will get the last laugh," Jon said. The people around dispersed, and the castle was given the last touches before the banquet in the evening. Jon and Arya too readied themselves for the banquet as this was where they were going to present their goods to the King. Evening. Arya, Jon, and Loki got themselves in the local clean and beautiful clothes and were soon at the banquet hall of Winterfell. Jon and Arya had also brought a wooden crate with them, decorated and adorned with intricate carvings and designs; it even had a velvet lining inside. As the banquet started, Robert took the main chair, and on the right side sat the Queen. On the left was Ned, while the rest sat accordingly. Among the main seats, except for Arya, the rest of them took their seats. Of course, Jon wasn''t one of them as he wasn''t the ''legitimate'' son. Arya and Jon soon approached them and bowed down to him, bringing forward the box. 210. The two queens Robert, while sitting in the middle and the high seat, was looking around, and if one knew Robert well, one could see that he was checking out the women in the hall to fool around. Ned, who was sitting beside him, was kind of ashamed and felt bad. He had supported someone who was still in delusion that Lyanna was the love of his life. While Lyanna was in love with someone else entirely and even had a child together. But Ned didn''t regret his decision; it was because the Mad King was really out of his mind. "Oh, great King. We present to you the finest our lands have to offer." Jon came forward and placed the box in front of the table. Robert took a sip out of his small goblet and looked at them with curiosity. Instead of talking with Jon and Arya, he turned to Ned and asked. "Are these people you had been blabbering about? The one with the... What was it again? Ah yes, watches." Robert asked. Ned nodded. Robert''s words ignited curiosity from both Joffrey and Queen Cersei. "What is it, father?" Joffrey asked with a hint of curiosity in his tone. Robert didn''t reply and hinted at Jon and Arya to open the box. Jon nodded and proceeded to open the box. The box had several small velvet cushions inside it, and on each velvet cushion, there were small watches wrapped around them. The watches were golden in color and so shiny that one could mistake them for gold. Each watch was mindfully made, with its distinct dials and numbers being laid on them. One could even hear the very faint clicks of the dials, but the hall was too noisy for everyone to hear them. Each of the watches was distinctly and differently made from the other. "My King, these are the watches which can correctly calculate the time and tell you the time of the day wherever you go..." Jon came forward and explained how the watches worked and how he could always be able to tell the time. Robert had gotten some vague information from Ded, but now looking at the golden watch in front of him made the ''ornament'' more and more appealing. Jon and Arya then gave them to the rest of Robert''s family. Arya''s hand trembled a bit when she gave a present to Cersei and Joffrey. After presenting the watches, Arya came forward with fine clothes that were beautifully dyed and had printed designs on them. Cersei was very much happy seeing the designs and wanted to try them after the banquet was over. Robert and Joffrey, of course, were more pleased with the watch. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Ned nudged Robert and said how these people would love to open a shop. Robert was going to approve, but before he could speak, Cersei said. "King''s Landing would be generous and welcome you to open your shop. There would be no tax levied on them for the next 5 years and will be allowed to sell in King''s Landing, as long as you and your subordinates don''t commit any crimes." Robert was taken aback by this announcement. He wanted to negotiate the terms, but Cersei didn''t leave any ground for that. He wanted to say no, but he felt it would be disrespectful and honestly he was drunk at the moment to even care. Jon and Arya had a weird look in their eyes as they saw how easily Cersei had accepted the deal without any problems, and for some reason Loki, who had been watching all of this from afar, felt the same chill in his spine. "Maybe I should go to the previous realm. It''s getting dangerous." Loki murmured as he gulped down one jug of alcohol. Robert didn''t speak more and got up to play with some of the women in the hall itself, while Cersei and the rest talked. Joffrey seemed to be enamored by his new watch and poked Jon a lot if he could get a few of those once they were in King''s Landing. Jon assured with a sweet smile and it brought a huge joy to Joffrey. Ned knew how uncomfortable Jon and Arya were in front of Joffrey and Cersei, so he ordered them to go down and enjoy the banquet. Arya thanked him and excused herself. The rest of the banquet went smoothly, with Cersei talking with Sansa, and indicated how Sansa and Joffrey would be a great match. While she talked, she caught some glimpses of Loki from time to time; it was very subtle but Loki could feel it immediately, and even Jon noticed something was off. Only Arya was completely oblivious to the stares of Cersei. The banquet ended with many drunk men, followed by many vomits outside the gate while the maids around went to work to clean up all the mess the men and women had created in the whole banquet. Jon and Arya came out, and they were on their way to their shop with Loki when they heard a conversation coming from the side. It was between Jon (present) and Tyrion. "Even Uncle Benji is late." Arya too spotted. "We need to accelerate our work. Messing with timeline meant, they can be here faster than we expect." Arya said. "And we have to handle the other queen beyond the sea," Jon added, hanging his head in shame. The trio decided to quicken their efforts to navigate the complexities of the timeline and the consequences of their actions. Jon and Arya were aware that their interference had already caused some events to unfold differently, and they needed to be cautious to prevent any more significant alterations. As they headed towards their shop, Loki chimed in, "I told you meddling with time is a messy business. You never know what might unfold." Arya, determined to set things right, replied, "We can''t afford any more mistakes. Let''s focus on what we can control." 211. +18 stuff The next morning. "You seem like you are in heat." "Just do it. I have been wanting it since yesterday." "What happened yesterday? Did the fat guy did something to you." "No.. Fuck.. Just.. Oh God.. Yes... More." A couple was going on at it when they heard a rustle from the side. Both of them turned to see a very young kid ready to climb in through the window, but stopped once the boy saw what was going on. The couple distanced themselves, and the man came in to stop the boy from climbing in more. They were in a long tower and that too on the top level. If it wasn''t apparent than, let the author make it clear. This was the famous scene of the couple, Jaime and Cersei, having a got at it in Winterfell, because apparently they couldn''t keep it in their pants, in an ''enemy''s'' territory. And the boy who had climbed up was Bran, who had a habit of climbing towers around Winterfell. "He saw us." Cersei hissed. Jaime was holding the collar of Bran, who looked terrified at the moment. Any push would send him over the edge and almost a certain death. "Quite the litter climber, aren''t you? What is your age boy?" Jaime asked. "10." Bran answered, still reeling from the fact of what was going on and he was very scared. "10." Jaime reiterated, signifying that he is quite young and there was pity in his voice. "He saw us." Cersei said. "I heard the first time." Jaime replied with annoyance. Bran was still very scared of what was going to happen. And then after a pause, Jaime looked at both of them and said. "The things I do for love" And proceeded to push him out. Jaime didn''t even look at Bran after he pushed him as he would have to run from the place so as not to get caught. But before he could use the half broken stairways down the tower, he stopped along with Cersei. Because in front of him stood three people. One young woman and two young men. They looked at them with mockery written on their faces. Jaime instinctively put Cersei behind him and looked around for some kind of weapon. But there were only twigs and branches. Though Jaime didn''t see an weapon on them, he did notice a small sword on the waist of the weapon. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. That gave him ideas, but he wasn''t going to act on it immediately. "Who are you? If you are the new guards, didn''t she tell you not to disturb us." Jaime said, as he was trying his best to intimidate them but all he could see was mockery on their faces. "Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer. You know you and I got along well at the end during the battle. But then my sister here wanted to kill her, no matter what as she had vowed to kill all of Lannisters after what you did to our family and father." Jon said. "Oh so you are one of those pathetic losers, who I had once crippled and now coming back for revenge." Jaime mocked. "Hahaha.. Losers? Your sister here killed my father when he came out of the truth of her children being the products of incest. You even tried to kill my brother just know. Do you think I can spare you? You put forward yourself as a brave man, but you are just a coward who stabs people from the back, just like you did to the Mad King." Arya said. "Just now?" Jaime and Cersei were confused now. In response, Jon and Arya slowly put away their disguise and it was there the siblings got to see Jon and Arya, who were much older than they had seen before. But both of the siblings didn''t take much time to recognize both of them. Jaime wasn''t able to wrap his head around it, but knew that he was in danger and thus jumped forward towards the sword of Arya. But before he could even touch the sword of Arya, multiple swords'' edge pointed right at the neck of Jaime, and a few even were pointing at his heart, and each of the swords were hanging on the air, in itself. Cersei, who wanted to scream, saw the same as multiple swords were pointing at her and one placed right at the mouth. One utter of word and it would go straight in, silencing her forever. Jaime and Cersei were dumbfounded and for the first time both of them were scared. When these three people came, they had the fear of getting caught, but now they had the fear of death, which was far worse. "What the fuck are you bastards? How do you two look alike like those children of Winterfell?" Jaime asked, while sweating, even in this cold weather. "Jaime!" Cersei could utter that one word and nothing more. "We are the children of Winterfell, just from the future." Arya replied as she slowly unsheathed her sword. "Future?" "What the fuck do you want?" Cersei cursed as she didn''t care at the moment who they were. She just needed to safeguard her life, in this wretched place. "Admit to your husband of what is going on, absolve all the rights your children have to the throne and go back to Casterly Rock. Both of you." Jon said. "You are too naive Jon, Jaime might not be axed, but she definitely deserves death." Arya wasn''t ready to let her go by so easily. Both of them were shit scared when Jon and Arya gave them the options, but at least there was hope. Hope that they could get away. It was Aoto who stepped in and said. "I have a better plan." Both of them turned to the man, who was in his cape standing behind and hadn''t uttered a word. 212. The full picture "Who the fuck are you?" Jaime demanded, growing annoyed. "Someone whose mother I fucked?" Aoto, about to share his plan, gazed at Jaime emotionlessly. He walked forward slowly. Without warning, foliage with thick branches emerged from the ground and struck Jaime''s and Cersei''s hands, bringing them down. The foliage, with huge leaves, wrapped around their necks, almost choking them but leaving enough room to breathe. Jon, witnessing Aoto''s actions, made the swords vanish. Cersei and Jaime''s eyes widened as they observed the unfolding spectacle. Now truly scared, they had never believed in Old Gods or anything of that sort, but this experience instilled the fear of God in them. "Since you wanted to know about my parents, I will show you my parents," Aoto declared. In the next moment, the entire scenery and environment changed. Jaime and Cersei found themselves on the roof of a well-made and planned building. Both couldn''t believe what they were seeing¡ªit felt like entering a new place, so real they could feel the air. It was morning in the tower, but here it was night. It was an illusion created by Aoto, and they were in Konoha. And it wasn''t just any night in Konoha; it was the night of the Kyubi attack. Cersei and Jaime, still tied, witnessed the horror story unfold. They saw men and women charging up to a huge monster, a fox-like creature with nine tails. Superhuman men and women tried to stop the monster, only to be swatted like flies. In one such movement, a large chunk of a building flew and landed on people, crushing them. Aoto and his parents were among those seen running away and taking shelter. The siblings witnessed the entire scene¡ªthe monster being reined in, and a child rescued from the rubble. The rescued child looked like an older version of the man they saw now. "This is impossible. There are no monsters like that here. I''ve traveled Westeros in my challenging years, so you can''t just fool me with an illusion," Jaime shouted. "What profit is there for me to show an ant how big humans are? Your opinions don''t matter here. Let me make this clear. You are an ant, with all your armor and glory, in front of us¡ªstill an ant. The only reason you are allowed to talk is that we don''t want a revolution at the moment," Aoto said, breaking the illusion and they were back at the tower. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Aoto waved his hand and in the next moment, a man appeared, who was munching on a bread. "God dammit Aoto, I was happily eating and.. Oh.." It was Shikuro who had appeared in front of him. He was annoyed of being called as he was happily eating and studying magic, but seeing that he was in another realm made him stop whatever he was spewing. He looked at the two ''prisoners'' in confusion and proceeded to finish the snack. Arya then gave a small rundown and as usual, his face showed disgust when he got to know what the hell was going. Aoto and Jon had spoken about this story, but now looking at the real perpetrator, evoked anger and disgust, almost making him puke. "What do you want me to do?" Shikuro asked. "Give both of them a poison in their veins which will kill them in a month without the antidote." Aoto said. This made the two siblings who had been silenced by a branch, to wiggle but they couldn''t move at all. Shikuro nodded and proceeded to take the hand of Jaime. A small bug slowly crawled out of covered hand and proceeded to walk in to the hand of Jaime. And then it dug right inside the skin of Jaime. Jaime was horrified as he saw that. The moment the bug went inside, small black lines branched out. One could see the black lines if they see it closely. Jaime didn''t feel the pain, but he did have the numb feeling. Shikuro did the same with Cersei. She too felt the same after what Shikuro did. The branches around that were holding them down, slowly withered away. And the moment they were free, they tried to check their hands to see if they could get rid of the bug. They tried scratching and even spanking, but the black lines remained. "What did you do?" Jaime was furious. "You have ears. You heard what I said." Aoto replied. Jaime wanted to come forward and kill him, but then he remembered how helpless he was a few seconds ago. He was now sure that this was magic. The illusions, the magical branches and even bringing people out of nowhere. If this wasn''t some kind of magic, then he didn''t know what it was. He went and held the hand of Cersei and, this time holding her hand. He needed to save and protect her, even if he died. So he needed to compromise. "Such a touching love story. I would have been elated seeing your love story if I didn''t know that you both are siblings and the fact that you just tried to kill an innocent child, and that too in his own home." Aoto said. "Are you done? Kill us and leave." Jaime still had the pride in his tone as he said. "Kill you? Are you an idiot?" Aoto said. "I just planted poison in you, why would I want to kill you?" Aoto said. This made Jaime and Cersei fear more. These people already knew the truth and even after that they were controlling him. "What do you want?" Jaime asked. "You will be going back to Kings Landing. Arynn is dead and thus Ned Stark will be the Hand. Robert, with the lifestyle he is leading, he will die soon too. Your son will not sit in the throne, Ned will, and your father too won''t interfere in the process." Aoto said. The words of Aoto suddenly made sense to Jaime. Now he finally got the real picture of what was actually going on. 213. Patience my man, patience From the very beginning, they had known of their illicit relations. He wasn''t sure what was going on with the age of Jon and the daughter of Ned, but it was apparent that these two had gained some friends, and they wanted their father to sit on the throne of the Seven Kingdoms. That had been the plan, and also to make his children fall back and vanish into obscurity. Jaime, knowing their agenda, smiled for the first time. Knowing the endpoint made him feel happy. "So it all comes down to power. Hahahah... And here I thought you had some grand schemes. You are no better than that fat man or the King I killed earlier," Jaime taunted. His mocking behavior almost made Arya jump on him and kill him. Though the anger towards him had mitigated when the war took place, seeing him throw away her brother made her angry again. She remembered that everything went bad just because this guy was having relations with his sister. "You are thinking too much. Neither do I care about who sits on the throne nor the power that comes with it. The dead are coming soon, and the realm needs protection. It can''t protect itself with this selfish woman by your side nor with the wretched son you have begotten yourselves." "The dead?" Jaime and Cersei were confused. "You thought the Wall was built because one person got bored and needed to save the realm from some savage wildlings? Think again," Aoto said and proceeded to vanish along with Shikuro, leaving behind Jon and Arya to now settle. Jaime and Cersei were dumbstruck when Aoto spoke that. They felt like they had grasped something. Something that they weren''t sure of, but at the moment, what they needed was to save themselves. And the first thing they needed to do was to go to the Maester.
Aoto was back in his home and carried on with his work. With him was Loki too, as he was quite interested in what was going on in Westeros and wanted to know more. While they were talking, Fugaku showed up at the shop. It was very rare for Fugaku to show up at their place under bright sunlight. "Good morning, Fugaku-san." "Good morning," Fugaku looked around and said. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "My son has said that the Roots had asked him to destroy the Uchiha, and we both wanted to know if the plans are ready from your end?" Fugaku asked. "How much time do we have?" Aoto asked as he sat straight. The words meant the massacre would happen one way or another. "A month or so," Fugaku replied. Aoto looked at Kisuke, who just nodded his head. Seeing the positive affirmation, Fugaku was overjoyed and ready to leave. "Fugaku-san, are you not angry with Konoha? At least I am," Aoto said before Fugaku stepped out. He stopped in his tracks and looked at Aoto with a smile. "If it were up to me, I would have loved to kill those who want to harm my family. But this is bigger than the family," Fugaku replied. "Good luck in convincing others to change their homes," Aoto said, to which Fugaku smiled and soon was out of the shop. "Quite the interesting guy," Kisuke said. "And thus, the future will be more interesting," Aoto replied. He was looking forward to the time when the Uchiha would emerge again from the shadows and make a place in the world. And also, he wanted to know how they would treat Lyanna. Would Danzo leave her, or would Itachi, in order to not raise suspicion, not kill his sister? Westeros. Jon and Arya threatened again to keep their mouths shut, or else they wouldn''t be able to get out of their clutches before vanishing from their sights. Jaime and Cersei just nodded and left. They expected to be questioned once they were out of the tower, as the son of Ned had fallen from there. But there was none of that. There was no commotion and no questioning. Jaime was confused and thus went to see the place where he had pushed the young boy, only to find the space empty. They hurried back to the main castle of Winterfell, only to see Ned and Bran talking while Bran had a smile on his face. Ned looked at the siblings with a genuine smile, which just made both of them uneasy. Cersei realized that she and her brother weren''t in the right dress, so they could only excuse themselves. Ned looked at them from afar and didn''t say a word. Bran didn''t seem to be bothered by the two cheating people and just left. Ned was left alone in his place as he looked into the distance. Arya and Jon emerged from behind. "Thank you for saving my son." "He is our brother too," Jon said. Ned could only nod, and then his eyes lit up as he looked in the direction where the two siblings had left. He wanted to go and kill them but refrained from taking any actions. Jaime and Cersei were almost silent and went back to their rooms, but before leaving for their respective places, they did have a small conversation. "Didn''t that bastard kid go and poison the ears of his father?" Cersei was confused. "You are the queen, so how can you be so dumb? They want the throne, so of course, they will keep their mouths shut until they get it." "So we will have to play by their tune?" "Of course not. Once we get rid of the poison, we can take our revenge," Jaime said as he looked at his wrist. The black lines were a bit more prominent, and the numb feeling remained. He could swear that the black lines had grown a bit. These lines gave him goosebumps and almost made him go to the Maester of Winterfell, but he knew that he would not be helped for sure 214. Olaf is here Over the next few days, the two siblings behaved themselves, and Cersei became more reserved. She was already someone who didn''t talk much, as she felt everyone was beneath her here, viewing the Northerners as inferior. Being a Lannister filled her with pride. But now, seeing how she and her brother were led around, made her anxious. It was so bad that even Robert noticed her change and asked if everything was fine. It took all of Cersei''s energy not to spill the beans and surrender herself to the clutches of death. The black lines reminded her not to cross the line, and the numbness emphasized the reality of what she was facing. She had met up with Arya and Jon (present) and somehow could tell that they were not the ones to antagonize her, perhaps supposing that the two who had shown up were in disguises, considering the fact that they could use magic for that purpose. Meanwhile, for some reason, Jaime became interested in the ''dead'' part that Aoto had mentioned earlier. He wanted to know what the end game was and thus went to gather information. Most of them were some kind of folklore. The White Walkers. The Wall being built to safeguard against them. Everything now made sense to him when he came to know. He even consulted his brother, as Tyrion too had read some books about them. Tyrion found it weird that his brother was suddenly interested in fantasy but didn''t ask. Soon it was time to leave, and everyone had gotten ready. Jon (present) was adamant about going to the Wall, and Ned tried his best to dissuade him. Soon the day for leaving came for both groups. Benji was ready to go to the Wall again with Jon, while Ned, Arya, and Sansa were supposed to go with Robert. Of course, in the group, Loki, Jon, and Arya (future) were present too. Joffrey was very happy with the watches and the new clothes that both of these businessmen had brought him, and he wanted to buy more once they reached King''s Landing. It had to be noted that during the journey, Nymeria and Lady, the two direwolves, also followed Arya, and Arya (future) made sure that they wouldn''t be hurt or killed. The incident of Lady hurting Joffrey did eventually happen. Joffrey was adamant, and Cersei, being the arrogant person she was, wanted to get back at the Starks for hurting her son. In fact, when Jaime saw the commotion, he wanted to deescalate it since he regarded the Stark children as untouchable. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. But Cersei was adamant about the punishment, thinking she was in the open and nobody would be able to touch her. Little did she know that, as she was dictating to kill off Lady, she felt a sting of pain in her wrist. Before she could realize it, blood was flowing from her hand and dripping on the ground. She didn''t even understand what was going on until the guards looked horrified and came forward to bandage her. "My Queen, did you have some concealed knife? Please hand it over to me for your safety," one of the guards said. Cersei looked around as she was bandaged but she couldn''t find who hurt her but she knew why she was hurt. She had tried to hurt the Stark children and it made her realize again how powerful magic was and if she didn''t follow in line, she would be executed long before she could reach King''s Landing. If she died, her children would die too and Ned would get the throne anyways. "Mother, are you alright?" Joffrey asked with concern, visibly taken aback by the sight of the flowing blood. Although a bit disgusted, he knew he had the protection of his mother, and he clung to her. "Yes, my son," Cersei replied, relieved to see her child''s concern. "Can we kill that bastard now?" Joffrey asked, still not over the fact that a wolf had tried to bite him. "No. There is enough blood for today," Cersei hurriedly answered, fearing that her son''s words might anger the one who had hurt her. She was also a bit disappointed that Joffrey was still in the mood for revenge after she was hurt. "But Mother!" Joffrey persisted. "Those are my orders," Cersei spoke loudly, making sure the guards understood not to follow her son''s demands. That was enough to silence Joffrey. Meanwhile, from afar, Robert, who wanted to intervene, was stopped by Ned, who said that the children could figure it out themselves. Seeing his wife hurt, Robert no longer cared about the wolf and let his wife rest. Ned had a faint smile on his face as he observed this. He knew that Arya, with her ability to go invisible, had attacked Cersei. He wanted to intervene earlier, but Jon stopped him from behind. Jon was amazed by what had happened. They were treating the Kings and Queens as playthings. Sansa and Arya (present) were beyond happy that they could keep their wolves and wouldn''t be killed. With this small intervention, their journey continued, and soon they reached King''s Landing. Loki wasn''t impressed at all once they arrived in the capital. "I thought it was some golden city," Loki complained to Arya and Jon. "Well, it is the best city this realm can offer. Maybe the city of Braavos could be better," Arya said. "I doubt that," Loki replied, having no expectations upon seeing the capital. After their arrival, Robert announced that Ned would be the new Hand of the King. Nymeria and Lady found it challenging in the hot weather, so Jon had to use magic to ensure that the wolves would always experience cold weather near him. It was something like what Elsa did with Olaf at the end to prevent him from melting. In this case, there was no visible source, but the wolves would experience cold weather from an unseen magical force. 215. Not my words Arya (present) wanted to learn sword fighting, and Ned got her a good one, the same instructor who had taught her how to dance. She was thrilled to have one, and Sansa was slowly coming to understand how cruel Joffrey was. Jon wanted to stop her, but Ned let her be, believing that someone like Sansa needed to see the harsh reality without tinted glasses. Their imaginative relationship wouldn''t happen anyway, so why bother. Arya was happy that her dad took that approach, as she needed to learn about the world the hard way. In this manner, one month had gone by, and things were quite different in Konoha. Konoha was in a hot spot right now, with vigilance increasing in just a week or so. Hiruzen had visited once in this month, looking distraught and almost broken down. In the original story, he was somewhat okay with the idea of the Uchiha being destroyed. But this time, he wasn''t ready to give the green signal. He talked with Aoto about feeling like he had lost a considerable amount of power in Konoha, and all of his friends had turned against him. He was actually drunk when he showed up at Aoto''s place. Aoto had to hold him a bit as he let him inside. "I regret everything," Hiruzen said. Those words surprised Aoto, as he didn''t expect one of the strongest men in the current world to express such regret. Aoto provided him with some coffee, as that might help, and also some lemon to alleviate the effects of the alcohol. "What happened?" Aoto asked. "The daimyo gave the green signal to eliminate the Uchiha," Hiruzen said, somehow managing to drink a glass of hot water with lemon juice. This made his drunkenness subside a little, but he was still visibly sad. The words struck Aoto, as he didn''t expect the daimyo to interfere in this matter. But he remained silent. "Aoto, can you save them?" Hiruzen pleaded. "I am just a regular shopkeeper," Aoto said. Those words made Hiruzen stare into Aoto''s eyes, which in turn made Aoto feel a bit embarrassed. He couldn''t deny the chaos he had caused. "I will see what I can do," Aoto replied. Those words made Hiruzen sigh, as if a huge burden had been lifted. He wanted to ask what Aoto planned to do, but he stopped himself. He was already in deep water, and knowing more wouldn''t do him any good. Hiruzen stayed at Aoto''s place for about an hour, where he complained about his responsibilities, the loss of his son, and his disappointment in Asuma. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. He truly regretted everything and wished he had said no to Tobirama that night. So, in the end, Itachi accepted the deal and pleaded that Sasuke should be left alone and allowed to grow up in Konoha. Itachi would then infiltrate Akatsuki and find out their motivation and destroy them from inside if possible. Of course, Itachi by now knew what Akatsuki wanted and the main reason he decided to join Akatsuki was because he needed to find more clues about these aliens and their presence. Joining Akatsuki would give him a wide range of spies which was supposedly bigger than Konoha''s. Konoha''s spy network was more concentrated and was made to destroy the big 4 villages, but Akatsuki was broader and spread out to get information. The reasons he knew all of this was because someone had visited him few days ago. Someone that Itachi had been warned about by Aoto. The one who called himself ''Madara''. The day ''Madara'' met Itachi, that same night Fugaku and Itachi had shown up. "Aoto, we need to know who this masked man is." Fugaku was adamant this time to know the situation. "Why are you held up on this?" Aoto asked in return. "He killed your parents. Don''t you wish to extract revenge?" Fugaku asked. "I told you, he is just a pawn for the real Madara, who himself is a pawn for the son of Kaguya. They are inconsequential." "But we want to know. We need to know of his background if we want to 1up on him." Itachi said. The words of Itachi surprised Aoto. It seemed that he had been playing quite the games as recently Runescape had been released and it had become quite popular. But of course, the network was only based on Konoha. "Sigh! The reason why you guys never know of him is because he is supposed to be dead in your books," Aoto said. "I thought so," Fugaku said as his eyebrows made an arch on his forehead. "He is the one who was supposed to die in the Kanabi bridge," Aoto continued. Those words struck Fugaku like thunder. Itachi hadn''t seen him, but Fugaku knew of him. He was the student of Minato and the one whom the whole Uchiha clan looked down upon. This guy wore glasses and blamed everything around him, except for himself, for his nonexistent eye powers. He was also someone who dreamt of being the Hokage. Though the Uchiha clan wasn''t very happy with him, Fugaku thought he was a bright and sunny kid in the age of war. He remembered how he came to know about Obito''s death from Kakashi and how, before his death, Obito gave away his eye as a gift to Kakashi. "Impossible. Obito wanted to be the Hokage. He would never create an organization to achieve such a heinous and twisted world. Everyone knew he loved Rin...." Fugaku''s voice croaked when he spoke of Rin. Then it struck him why Obito went mad. Rin had died too. In that war, from what he heard, at the hands of Kakashi himself. Itachi had heard about him in passing once when he came to know that Kakashi had a Sharingan, but knowing that the guy who had given the Sharingan was still alive and now stood against Konoha was wild. "As I said, it doesn''t matter. Obito always had potential because he had too many emotions. Any Uchiha who loves too much is doomed. Not my words but Tobirama''s," Aoto said, sensing the glares of Itachi and Fugaku. 216. What is this rare name "So we are a cursed clan," Fugaku sighed and said. "Nothing is free in this world, Fugaku-san. I don''t know if your clan is cursed or not, but what I believe is that having a privilege isn''t a curse. The weak will always fear the strong, and the strong will always take advantage of the weak. Nobody is in the wrong here. A tiger would eat a deer, and that''s just nature. You do what you think will safeguard your clan while your enemies do the opposite. This cat and mouse chase will go on until a tiger enters the scene," Aoto said. This made Fugaku have a sense of what exactly was going on. He couldn''t just change what was happening and could only safeguard his family. Fugaku then promised that on the night of the massacre, he and Itachi would work together along with Shisui to facilitate their departure while Aoto and his friends take over the aftermath. Kisuke also joined as he would be a vital part of this whole operation. After the discussion, they left, and thus a few more days had gone by. Soon one evening, Naruto was sent home early from the Academy. On weekdays, it was normal timings, so today coming home early was a bit unsettling. "Where is Hinata?" Aoto asked as he saw Naruto hopping home, feeling very happy that the Academy had allowed them to go home early today. "Her father came to take her home, said there was something more important," Naruto said. "Hmm, why did the Academy let you off early? Did you commit another stupid prank?" "Brother, I don''t always play pranks. Everyone was let go today early. Didn''t you just hear what I spoke about Hinata? Oh, not everyone was allowed to leave. Sasuke has to do some homework with Iruka-sensei," Naruto said. Those words made the casual Aoto stand up. He knew what it meant. The massacre would be tonight. "Naruto, go to the library today and don''t come out," Aoto said. "Huh? Today is an off day, I want to go and have fun with Choji and others." "Not today, Naruto," Aoto said, and this time it was more of an order than a normal talk. Naruto knew that he couldn''t argue here. Corazon was nearby and cheered him, promising him ice cream if he studied well today. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. After Naruto left, Kisuke came out of the shadows. "You need to stop giving such a dramatic entrance," Aoto complained. Kisuke had the habit of entering somewhere in the most dramatic way possible. "Ahahaha.. What can I say. I just like the pranks," Kisuke said. "Whatever! Is the warehouse ready?" Aoto asked. "Hai," Kisuke replied. This evening would be quite the eventful one. There were only a few people on the streets, and it almost felt like a curfew in Konoha. No customers for Aoto in sight, which annoyed Aoto. One less day of customers meant a loss for him. Aoto had work to do as he vanished again and appeared again. This time he was in King''s Landing. He went straight for the Hand of the King. Ned Stark. Of course before he could go straight in, the guards tried stopping him but thankfully Ned had his doors open so when he saw the commotion he ordered them to stop and allow the man in. After entering through the ''office'' of Ned, he closed the door and put a charm on it so that the sounds couldn''t perforate the walls. "I hope I am not disturbing you in your work." Aoto said. "After arriving in this place, I thought I would not have to work and pass my time in leisure. Rather I realized how deep we are in debts from the Iron banks and the Lannisters. This is overlooking the fact that the management of the realm has been nothing but utter shite." Ned complained as he went through some of the papers. "But welcome to King''s Landing." Ned said as he smiled at Aoto. He had heard a lot about Aoto, of he was a successful businessman and someone who was responsible for the new life he had invoked to Arya and Jon. And on top of that according to them, he was a good person. That was all Ned needed to know about Aoto and respect him. "Thank you." Aoto smiled at the welcome. "You don''t seem very happy with the Capital." Ned could see that Aoto didn''t like the place around. His eyes showed unhappiness and even a bit of disgust. "This place could have been much better but all I can see is debauchery." Aoto said. Ned couldn''t help but agree. The Capital did have businesses but it reeked of debauchery and crime. It could be understood that the largest shop and the most profitable market was a whorehouse. And it was being led around by one of their own officials. Littlefinger. He hated that man and he always felt he rubbed him the wrong way. "I am fine. Sorry that I had to come but have you looked for a place that I have asked." "Yes. We have found a perfect place. Its just North of Storm''s End and is between King''s Landing and Storm''s End." "I thought you will provide somewhere in the North." Aoto asked. "No, Arya said that your people are not from a cold place so it is better to give them a moderate climate around." Ned said. "They aren''t my people." Aoto corrected him. "Uh.. But they are your friends since they will follow you to a realm different from theirs." Ned said. "It''s because the situation is quite dire in our place." Aoto said. This made Ned''s face tense up and he could imagine how a whole clan needed to be moved to a different location. "What is the name of the place?" Aoto asked. "Bronzegate." Ned replied. Aoto thought hard of the name if he had heard when he watched GOT but he didn''t remember such name in his memory. 217. The mountain couldnt bear the weight Ned could see the confusion in Aoto''s eyes and brought out a map from one of the side shelves, laying it out on the table. There, Ned showed him the location of Bronzegate. Aoto understood, and Ned explained that although it was a castle in a state of disrepair, some people still inhabited it. Aoto asked for more details on how they would proceed. Ned and Aoto discussed how to ensure that people around them wouldn''t question them, especially the Lannisters and other families, given their location in the south where it was impossible to escape their scrutiny. While discussing, a knock echoed on the door. "Who is it?" Ned barked, a little irritated by the disturbance during his deep conversation with Aoto. "Sir, it''s the Queen herself," the guard outside the door shouted back. Ned was taken aback and looked at Aoto, who shrugged, indicating they could let her in. Ned got up from his seat and opened the door himself. Although Ned didn''t care much for the Queen and her brother''s life and death, he felt obligated to extend general courtesy to them in the Capital and their ''home.'' "Welcome, my Queen," Ned said as he saw Cersei standing outside with her brother and the Mountain. Cersei nodded without replying, walking straight in, followed by her brother and the Mountain. Aoto, sitting on his chair, turned around, surprised to see the Mountain. Unlike the time when he almost died and had to wear a helmet, the Mountain''s face was visible, displaying a healthy yet menacing demeanor. Cersei''s presence made Aoto shudder, while Jaime, behind her, composed himself, showing only a slight rattle in his emotions. Observing the Mountain, Aoto suddenly realized why Cersei brought him as her bodyguard along with her brother. She sought assurance, and the Mountain was the best man for the job. Ned allowed Cersei to sit beside Aoto, while two guards stood beside her. Ned resumed his seat, and an awkward silence settled in. Aoto was the one who finally broke the silence. "How did you know I was here?" Aoto asked. His question made Cersei and Jaime flinch, and the Mountain slowly reached towards his sword. Aoto noticed the movement but remained unfazed. "I have my spies around," Cersei replied stiffly, unsure of how to respond. She feared Aoto after their last encounter. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "No, you don''t. Probably Littlefinger or Varys shared the information that some unknown man showed up at the door of The Hand. It was Littlefinger, wasn''t it? Yeah... Thought so," Aoto said. "You will not talk to the Queen in that manner," the Mountain growled. Thankfully, the doors were soundproofed with the help of magic, a little trick that Corazon had taught him. Though not as perfect as his, it served its purpose for Aoto. Aoto turned and looked at the Mountain, and his right hand lit up. Without any warning, he slung his arm in an arc. Jaime and the others could only see a flash of light from Aoto''s hand, and in the next second, they felt a splatter of warm liquid on Cersei''s face. Jaime, sensing danger, had his sword in his hand. Ned and the others turned to see a head rolling over while the Mountain''s body stood for a second before falling down. Aoto had decapitated the Mountain without uttering a word of threat, maintaining a straight face. Cersei screamed at the top of her lungs, and Aoto made some hand signs to silence her. Jaime trembled, and even Ned was taken aback by the brutality Aoto displayed, killing one of the King''s important guards in his own home. "This will be hard to cover," Ned said. "That was not very intelligent," Jaime tried to inject humor, attempting to diffuse the tension. "And it was not very intelligent to bring this man and think I will be threatened," Aoto replied. Jaime hung his head, realizing the severity of the situation. He had tried to dissuade Cersei when he heard about Aoto''s arrival and more so when he saw the Mountain following her. "Aoto, you have put me in a terrible situation," Ned remarked. "Tell Arya to clear the scene and erase the memories of the people outside," Aoto instructed. Ned''s eyes sparkled as he realized that his daughter was skilled with illusions too. Thinking of this, Ned got up and went out to search for Arya, who was in a shop they had set up. After Ned left, Aoto removed the bindings on Cersei''s mouth, allowing her to speak. Jaime used his clothes to wipe away the blood on his armor and face. Cersei, more distraught, tried hard to remove the blood splatters. She didn''t know what to say, and one could see that her hand and arm had turned completely black. While she could move and work with the arm, she felt no pain¡ªonly a constant numbness that had been festering and growing. Sometimes she could feel as if some kind of bugs were crawling under the skin and made her feel like vomiting. She was scared but also angry. At time she remembered that prediction that said she would be the one ruling the realm and now with how the things looking she would not even be able to live long. After a few mins, Ned came back with Arya and Jon. As soon as they entered and seeing the Mountain''s body lying on the floor, it gave her a broad smile on her face. Before arriving she had already wiped away the memories of her arrival and even the arrival of the Queen. Ned had already told her of what had happened. And this made her all elated and happy. "You should have called me. I have always wanted to kill him." Arya said. "He wanted to kill me first and I didn''t have time to debate of who gets the first dips on the guy." Aoto defended himself. "Let''s get this over with. Loki will not be happy if we are not back at the shop within minutes." Jon said never acknowledging the presence of Jaime and Cersei. 218. What is the problem, dude? Jon didn''t waste more time and just used chaos magic to make the body of the Mountain vanish and turn to dust. The Mountain returned to the same things he was composed of. The most basic atoms. At the end of the day magic was also a part of science and every sorcerer needed to have some basic knowledge of magic. And thus Jon and Arya too knew about science. Might not be like scientists but at least high school science. Jaime and Cersei just realized how terrifying these people were. Turning a body to dust. This was way out of their ''paygrade''. "Now that you are here, it makes things easier." Aoto said. "There will be new warriors arriving and will settle down in Bronzegate. Tell your father to stay out of our way or he might die the next day." This shuddered Cersei and Jaime, because for some reason, Aoto mention of warriors made them feel there will more people just like him and the minute thought of it made her horrified. Jaime, being the brave he was asked. "Are you going to conquer the seven kingdoms?" Aoto who was ready to just leave the realm was surprised by his boldness. "You know, your sharp and curiosity might kill you one day." Aoto said. "The Mad King said the same." Jaime said. This made Aoto laugh out loud. Jaime was proving to be just as feisty as he was when he lost his hand. This man was either stupid or was born to be in the house of Gryfinndor. "You have earned my respect Jaime Lannister. In fact, in all honesty, I would have liked you more than Tyrion if not because of your sexual and romantic relationship. A part of me even thinks that you got groomed. Oh sorry, you don''t know what grooming is. This concept is kind of foreign to these lands. I am going off topic. Answering your question, do you think these savage lands have anything for us to conquer?" Aoto asked. "The lions don''t really care how much space an ant takes under the ground. Because at the end of the day, an ant will never be able to conquer a lion nor will they dare to." Aoto continued. And after that he vanished from the sight. Ned just stood there in the side and had a faint smile on his face. He was proud while Arya was a bit downtrodden because she didn''t get to kill the Mountain. But Cersei and Joffrey were still alive so she had time. Jon didn''t care much and talked with Ned. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The two siblings after coming out of the office room, ran away as fast as they could while not raising any alarms along the way. Both of them ran straight to the upper terrace above the Great Hall. Cersei fell on her knees on the roof while Jaime just came to edge and heaved heavily. They felt like the walls around them were crumbling down and vulnerable. Their lives didn''t belong to them anymore and their arms were the proof of that. They couldn''t even show their arms openly. It was because Jaime on the way spoke of the disease of Grayscale and the wicked and old Maester of King''s Landing might just say that their poison was like Grayscale and thus banishing them to Valeria. "I told you.. I told you.. Not to bring that rock mountain with us. But no... You had to play the Queen.. Look where it has brought us." Jaime shouted. Cersei didn''t expect the outburst and started sobbing. "Oh.. Now you are crying.. Alright.. Then how about this.. You take care of the Mountain.. Take responsibility for your own actions. I am not dealing with this." Jaime said while still heaving heavily and storming off. Cersei felt desperate and helpless as she saw Jaime leaving.
When Aoto returned again to Konoha, it was evening and unsurprisingly everyone was at the home of Aoto. Except for Naruto who was with Chomei in library. "Kisuke.. Is everything ready?" Aoto asked. "Ready to be deployed." Kisuke did a fake salute. Aoto nodded. "Everyone, you know what you have to do." "Yosh." Everyone cried. Everyone one of them opened portals and stepped out and those who didn''t followed the ones who could open portal. The only ones left in the room were Kisuke and Aoto. And thus the wait began. The streets became empty pretty soon and there were no sounds in the streets. "They really are going all out." Kisuke said as he blew his fan. "It''s a bad news for them as after this Hiruzen wouldn''t trust his advisors and degrade their powers. They had done something which the Hokage didn''t favor for and this would be their last move before Holage decides to bring the hammer down." Aoto said. "It might go both ways. Konoha always needs someone to clear their darkness and Danzo had lost a lot due to our intervention." Kisuke said. "True. But Konoha has also lost a lot due to his God complex or rather Konoha complex." Aoto said. "Sigh! The future is always dark." Kisuke said. "Did somebody say the future?" Loki who was in Westeros suddenly appeared. Jon and Arya were back in the evening for the ''massacre ceremony'' and Loki being the guest thus was wasn''t bothered. "We thought you were sleeping." Aoto said. "A god doesn''t sleep." Loki said to which Aoto and Kisuke just rolled their eyes. This guy was way to narcissistic for them to handle. "I came here to see the massacre." Loki replied as he started eating some snacks which he brought from Westeros. "Tell us the real reason." Aoto could tell Loki was lying. He was God of tricksters and liars would always give a reason for things they didn''t ask for. Loki flinched a bit and then said very meekly. "Cersei showed up at our doorstep." Aoto and Kisuke were confused about the context. 219. Meet me on time "While wearing..." Loki looked hesitant as he said that. "While wearing?" Aoto and Kisuke pressed Loki as one could tell that he was feeling very uncomfortable on speaking about it. "While wearing a seductive and transparent dress..." This made Kisuke and Aoto look at each other and then burst out laughing. They laughed so hard that they were rolling on the floor. But the happiness was short lived as both of them just got struck in their open mouth positions. This bitch just stopped time around them. "What? Laugh more.. Weren''t you laughing?" Loki mocked them but if one saw both of them in their eyes, one could see the joy still. After a few seconds Loki let them go and they didn''t laugh anymore. And they were suppressing their laughter. "So you ran away like a ...." Aoto said and wanted to say rat but stopped himself. It would be an insult to him. Loki didn''t mind that and at the moment he was more stressed with what happened. This woman was beyond delusional to come to him, knowing to which party he belonged to. Though Loki never cared of how the ants fought amongst themselves but he still didn''t like the Lannisters. This woman must be bonkers trying to sleep with him. She was hysterical when she showed up and almost begged him. Of course, Loki got embarrassed and ran away leaving Cersei helpless and in tears. "This woman needs therapy for her problems." Kisuke said as he finally had a much serious look. "The death of her mother messed her mind in way one couldn''t understand." Aoto said and Loki wanted to say more but suddenly a small bright orb landed near them. This was the signal. "Kisuke. Do your magic." "Happy to help." Kisuke said and then Aoto opened multiple portals. And thus the ceremony started. Kisuke went in and out of the portals multiple times. Aoto and Loki from the portals could see Itachi and his friends moving around in dark night. The solution that they and Kisuke had figured out to not let the massacre happen was the use of gigai. The fake bodies to replace the dead Uchihas. Of course, speaking of fake bodies, one would have to make sure that the bodies seemed real and also make sure that some of them had sharingan. In the past months Kisuke and Unohana had been working hard to find a good replacement and thankfully they were able to find out. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Their research bore fruit and it would be able to fool Danzo and others about them being Uchiha. While gigais would be put as the corpses in the whole staged massacre and their eyes would have characteristic of sharingans to make sure that Dazno or others wouldn''t suspicious. In fact Kisuke has said that he was sure that Danzo wouldn''t know they were fake even if he planted the eyes on himself. This was a huge declaration for Kisuke, to which Unohana too supported. Aoto had a feeling that Kisuke had figured out what chakra was and now could manipulate it. Itachi asked for total privacy when he would carry out the massacre and promised Danzo results which was enough for him to trust Itachi as he had never went back on his words. The whole massacre went on for a few hours and the Uchihas were sent to Westeros. And that too at the place that Ned had chalked out for them. Jon and Arya had gone to see the place and they would facilitate their moves with their portals on the other end. Of course not all Uchihas were allowed to go to Westeros and some would genuinely be killed by Itachi. Fugaku had pointed out the traitors and those who would not bend to the new arrangement. It was sad but it had to be done for the future of the clan and for his family. Fugaku had taken a lot of time to convince them and make them move. Some weren''t ready and wanted to revolt so Fugaku had to promise them they would come back one day with flying colors and be received as heroes by Konoha. It had to be said that Fugaku had a good grip of the clan and guess what, he didn''t need curse to do that. Yes, I am looking at you Hyuga. After the whole charade was done Itachi had returned through the portal with the others. His eyes were red and seemed to be crying very badly. "I.. I am sorry.. My father conveys the message of immense gratification and thanks to you, Aoto Yamazaki." Itachi said as he bowed down to his knees and thanked him. Aoto came forward and hugged him. "It''s all a transaction. We will need your army soon and I needed to keep you alive. My business is already ruined so your clan better cough up the money in the other end." Aoto said. Of course, he spoke that as a joking way but Itachi knew that Aoto was very serious about money and he wouldn''t do any business if he didn''t see profit. "Our clan will do our best to repay the great kindness you have bestowed us." Itachi said. "You should leave to meet him." Aoto reminded as he needed to meet Obito. Itachi had a chill look on his face and he seemed to want to kill Obito into thousand pieces for pushing their clan into such a huge pit. "Did you meet your brother?" Aoto asked. "Yes. I hope his talent blooms because of this trauma." Itachi said. Aoto nodded and he opened a portal to outside of Konoha. And Itachi wasn''t the only person who went through the portal. Aoto and Loki did too. Aoto had asked for his help and Loki obliged as he too wanted to see how a crybaby transformed to some chad after a single trauma. Aoto has opened the portal right at the shrine of the Uchiha which was outside Konoha and it was broken and unkempt but it was here that Itachi had promised to meet Obito in their last meet after he would be done with the massacre. 220. Too much sarcasm The three of them appeared near the dilapidated shrine. It was once the Uchiha clan''s shrine when Madara was the head, and after his ''death,'' the shrine was abandoned. Whatever remained was then moved to the clan''s Patriarch. Now, after some years, everything looked unkempt with overgrown trees and bushes. The roof was falling apart, and someone would have to move it if they wanted to go inside. Itachi bowed down to Aoto again in gratitude. Aoto gave one last hug to him, and Loki proceeded to make themselves invisible with magic. They also moved one of the sturdy branches among the trees, while Itachi just waited for Obito to arrive. The wait was silent and kind of creepy. It was very late at night, and one could only hear occasional hoots of owls or crickets. Sometimes the cries of birds could be heard from a far-off distance. Another thing Itachi made sure of was that Obito didn''t get involved in the massacre, unlike the original story. There was no moon in the night, contrary to the actual story, as Aoto remembered Sasuke seeing the moon behind Itachi. Times had changed, as he could also tell that Itachi hadn''t awakened the Mangekyo. He and Kisuke had already discussed how to artificially awaken the Mangekyo using technology and also ensure that they wouldn''t lose eyesight when using it. That had been the main topic of research for both Kisuke and Unohana for some time now. After about half an hour, Loki, who had been idle and just playing with a Paliko that Aoto had gifted him, heard a rustle. Both of them became alert. Another thing Itachi made sure of was that Obito didn''t get involved in the massacre, unlike the original story. "It''s over." "Good work. I assume you will take me up on the offer." Aoto and Loki, from the side, heard his voice for the first time. There were no greetings, just to-the-point dialogue. This guy had really changed from one death and made his whole personality around her. The people of this world definitely need therapy. "I have my own agenda for joining your group," Itachi said. "Everyone in the organization has their own agenda, and they can do whatever you want to commit to; the organization wouldn''t meddle," Obito spoke, trying to imitate Madara. Itachi nodded, and he let go of his Anbu mask, which he had been wearing. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. He didn''t look back and jumped into one of the trees, vanishing from their sight after a few jumps into the cold and dark night. From afar, Aoto and Loki could hear the sirens go off, a siren that meant every single citizen of Konoha was asked to be in their home and not go out. Obito didn''t immediately leave and just stood there, watching into the darkness of the night, into the stars that shone so brightly. The place was away from the village, and thus the stars were ever so bright. "You can come out since you have sneaking on us the entire time." Obito spoke up and his words were heard by Loki and Aoto clearly. They didn''t seem to be surprised at all as Loki didn''t make his magic that apparent and any normal shinobi with a bit of expertise could sense him. Aoto came out while clapping his hands. Obito didn''t say anything as Aoto slowly clapped while Loki just stood behind and made sure that this guy didn''t pull any ''prank'' on them. "Aoto Yamazaki, the one with the golden hands." Obito said every slowly and his words were crystal clear. "Golden hands? That''s a new name. But I like it." Aoto said. "Thanks for massacring the Uchiha." Obito said. "Ah no thanks. Itachi did it himself and took all the burden." Aoto said not hiding or deflecting at all. Since this guy was going to unhinged, it would be better to throw him unhinged answers back, forgetting the fact that Aoto himself came out clapping in a sarcastic way. "I presume you are here to join our organization. You are welcome." Obito said. This made Aoto dumbstruck. He didn''t expect that these words from Obito and thought maybe he would start a fight, but no, he was delusional enough to think he followed Itachi to join their organisation. "No offense Madara.. I think I told your organisation long before that I will not join. Did you take the wrong medicine that time?" Aoto asked. This made Obito flinch internally but didn''t show up for everyone as he was wearing a closed mask. Obito was also taken aback that this guy even called him Madara but for some reason his intent on the name felt different. It was as if Aoto knew who he was and just calling him in a sarcastic way. "Then why did you help Itachi in the massacre? If not to join." Obito asked. "C''mon Madara. You have a better poker face than that. You know all too well that Itachi is being sent to your organisation as a spy of Konoha and you keep him away from the core." Aoto said. Obito didn''t expect that. He wasn''t expecting this businessman knew of his plans too, with Itachi. In response he slowly got into fight mode. Obito couldn''t let someone like Aoto or Itachi to get into his plans. Since Aoto knew of his plans, it could be guessed that Itachi knew of it too. It was better to get rid of them. It was dangerous for them to know of his true aims and he felt as if Aoto knew more. He attacked with his bare hands alone and though he had heard how he had taken down Hidan and even got rid of the seven tails, he didn''t think much of it. But the moment his hands came an inch closer to the nose of Aoto, his body stopped. No he didn''t stop by himself, but he stopped in mid air itself! He couldn''t even move his eyelids as he looked at the face of Aoto in horror. All masked by the mask. 221. You stupid b** "You killed my parents." Aoto said as he looked at the eye that glowed red and had a hooked sharingan. Aoto was shaking a bit when he said those words. It had been some time that he had been here, in Konoha, in this ninja world that was fraught with dangers. But overtime he had come to like it. And at times for some reason his memories would go back to his parents. It was momentary, maybe once a month, or so. His old life, which he had never lived but held the memories deep inside his heart. He could sometimes even taste the blood on his mouth on the night he died. He wanted revenge for his parents. Though he never met them, he wanted some kind of retaliation against the perpetrators. And now he standing against one of the masterminds. "Hatred begets hatred. It is almost never the case but the day hate will be countered with love, those stories are he ones to be told for centuries to come. You brought a tragedy to all of Konoha for your so called greater plans. You think that will help and bring peace to this world? Hahahaha.. You are funny dude.. You are funny."Aoto said and he actually genuinely laughed. Loki waved his hand again and Obito was thrown back and he soon found himself standing in the same position as he was just a few seconds. It didn''t take a scientist for Obito to realize that this jutsu was control of time. If space was the King, then time was the emperor. He had a partial control over space and that already gave him a huge advantage over others and now seeing someone having seamless control over time gave him the chills. He had heard about Aoto Yamazaki and his business exploits. His company had bloomed in a great way. The Hidden village of rain had applied computers in many fields already and was actually much better at it than Konoha. It was revolutionary for the people to say the least. But he didn''t think much of this guy. Even when Pain spoke once about him, he didn''t care because power was what mattered at the end and no end of business ideas would change the world. But now it was a different ball game. Now the question was how much the guy knew? Loki after sending him back, let the time take its normal flow. He heaved heavily even though it wasn''t required since the time allowed his body to act just as normal as before the time stop and time reversal. It was just his involuntary reaction. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "Aoto Yamazaki, you have hidden yourself quite well all these years." Obito said while thinking for his next course of actions. "Shut up, bitch. A major SIMP like you don''t get to have a moral high high ground against me. I am doing you a favor by not killing you here. You still need to fulfil your goal before you die. And I promise you, neither your fake ass plan will come to fruition and nor your grandiose. Fuck.. How do you even get the balls after being a SIMP all your life, I don''t get it." Aoto just went into a tangent, so much so that even Loki wasn''t expecting that kind of outburst. Aoto had been speaking Japanese very well all this time but the words and the way he just spoke was more customary to western culture which he had a proper knowledge of. Obito himself didn''t understand some of the words he just used and was confused. Of course, his confusion was not known to Aoto. Obito was silent and actually felt like a tumbleweed was flying away over the grand desert which was his mind at the moment. He didn''t know what he should say now to be a bit cool or even threaten this person. "Take your trash and get out. If you go for Itachi, I will personally come after you. Now get the fuck away from here." Aoto shouted. He was shaking in anger as he said and was very close to killing this person altogether and then going after Zetsu. But he knew that if he did kill him, Zetsu would never show up because killing him meant that Pain too would be soon taken down and in other words Madara will never come back. And this guy would have enough patience to vanish for thousand years more and then wait for another reincarnation. It was better to let a part of 4th great ninja war happen and then allow all of the secrets to unfold. Humanity needed fear and this would do the job. Aoto and Loki just walked away, but of course Obito wasn''t happy with what just happened. He didn''t even think twice and attacked Aoto when he had his back against him. Obito materialized from the shadows, kunai in hand, aiming for Aoto''s vulnerable points. However, Aoto seemed anticipated the attack, conjuring a mystical barrier that repelled the assault. Loki didn''t stop time for Aoto like last time. Obito didn''t just get away but went inside his kamui dimension. Loki and Aoto looked at each other and both of them nodded in understanding. Obito wasn''t into hiding for long and soon came out of the dimension and he actually had the balls to go after Loki. Clashing with Aoto for the first time was a distraction and Obito knew that Loki was the main person here. Since he could control time. "Oh you stupid bitch. Winds of Watoomb." A gust of magical wind swept through the forest, tearing through the shadows and forcing Obito into the open. The Uchiha ninja retaliated with a barrage of shurikens imbued with elemental chakra, each one seeking its mark with deadly precision. Aoto wasn''t done with it and conjured magical multiple hands that went after Obito. But as expected before the hands could catch Obito, it became useless because he just used Kamui dimension to escape any kind of ensnare. 222. Need ninja education Throughout all this, Loki just looked at Obito with a smirk on his face. His hair waved in the wind produced by the magic of Aoto, but somehow the winds that affected Obito didn''t seem to be able to move Aoto at all. Obito pulled out Gunbai (the weapon of Madara), which he had been carrying all this time. He infused chakra into it and went after Aoto, who was ready to attack him again. Aoto made a hand sign, and a wave of fire blew in all directions parallel to the ground. Obito, who had elemental chakra on the Gunbai, had to defend against the fire attack that Aoto just unleashed. It was an elemental attack, so he had to be careful and vanish totally into the Kamui dimension. Seeing that Obito had escaped again, Aoto didn''t wait for him to show up. He made more hand signs, and soon black clouds rolled in the sky. The clouds came rolling in with roaring thunder, and within a minute, heavy rain started to pour. The rain was relentless, and Loki actually had to conjure an umbrella to safeguard himself. Aoto wasn''t just done with the rain and cast a spell that made old age street lamps, which used to be lit with fire. Multiple lamps, both made of steel and iron, grew in multiple places as the rains poured down heavily. Loki was curious about what Aoto wanted to do. After the lamps came out, sigils lit up on each of the lamps. The sigils were purple in color, but they cast enough light around for everyone to see and use their eyes. The rain continued to pour as Aoto was now waiting for Obito to materialize. And Obito didn''t disappoint. He came out after 5 minutes, and he was welcomed with a total change of weather and a small change in the scenery. "It must be a trap," Zetsu spoke for the first time from the other side of his body. "I know," Obito replied. But he wasn''t going to give up just because it could be a trap. He threw shurikens and kunai, multiple ones at that, on Aoto. Aoto used the old Tao mandala shields and made sure that he was protected from all sides and even from the top. Obito, seeing the turtle shell, didn''t get discouraged and sent bigger shurikens to break this yellow rounded dome that Aoto had built itself. Out of fear, even though he was getting drenched in rain, he didn''t go near those lamps that came out of nowhere. The shiny sigils on them gave him the creeps. Of course, Obito wasn''t done with Aoto, and he was determined to go after the man who could control time. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He was way too dangerous. Obito was trying his best to sneak attack Loki, who seemed to standing and watching circus while giving a commentary of the things happening around. "God, this man is a genius. He could even infused fire on his weapon while swirling a path of fire and attack Aoto. My time here had opened my eyes and this man has continued to surprise me." Loki spoke out loud. This went on for few minutes as Obito attacked from far while Aoto just holed in the middle surrounded from all side by lamp posts while the just glowed in the dark. After a minute or so of long range attack, one of the shields of Aoto had a crack and Obito noticed that. He took hat advantage and after barrage of wind and fire attacks, the whole Tao mandalas finally broke. Obito was huffing a bit after he saw that the shield had finally gone down. "You have fought well. For someone who had no ninja education, you surely have a variety of tricks up your sleeve." Obito said as the rain continued to pour and trying its best to subvert the words of Obito with it''s sound. Aoto didn''t have a visible panic or fear as he saw his Tao Mandalas. He was actually more disappointed that his Tao mandalas couldn''t hold for much longer time. Obito seeing that he won didn''t go and enter the circle of the lamps and rather readied himself for one last attack at Aoto while keeping an eye on Loki. Loki was his aim and not Aoto from the beginning. He went for a long range wind attack at Aoto but before Obito could charge up and attack Aoto from far, he clicked his fingers. And the moment he did, all the sigils at the lamps. There was a small electric discharge and that was enough for Obito to know what the lamps were meant for, but it was already too late. The huge electric discharge travelled through the water and the small flood that had occurred around due to rain. Before he could vanish to his kamui dimension, he felt as if he body went numb and all the cells of the body seemed to be vibrating. Since Zetsu was made of partial wood, he tried to stop the electrical current flow to the body of Obito but it was too late and the discharge was too much. Obito was urging his kamui dimension to work but it was of no avail. He was already too late and when his kamui dimension had started to work, it was too late because Aoto had already arrived with a sword in his hand. A magical sword that he had just summoned and cut at Obito and he did that specifically on the left side of his body. There wasn''t the usual grind of a sharp side on the flesh but Aoto felt like he had struck a wood. But it was a magical sword to begin with which he had just summoned and it still cut through frm the right shoulder to the abdomen. Obito screamed in pain as he jumped back. His arm which was covered on the side melted away and before it was too late he used his last bit of sanity to make him vanish himself into the kamui dimension. 223. I need moral support The last thing Obito remembered before he passed out in the kamui dimension was the smirk on the face of Loki. That smirk cemented the fact to Obito was that he was being let go to live and not because he was successful in his escape. Loki could have stopped his escape from the get go and let him die. He felt helpless again. It reminded him of the Kanabi bridge and the death of Rin. Even after all these years nothing had changed and this time they were facing someone who had control over time. He wanted to speak to Zetsu but he lost consciousness before he could speak up.
The clouds passed away revealing the clear night again and the stars shone brightly and even the galaxy could be seen from where Aoto and Loki stood. Aoto was shaking and went down to his knees. He was shaking because the emotions came rushing to him as his knees touched the grass. "Science bringing down ninjutsu. That should be written in the books of the library." "No. It was ignorance that brought down Obito. If he had known that the sigils were electric discharge, he wouldn''t have got himself wet." Aoto said as he heaved heavily. He couldn''t believe himself. He had just defeated Obito, one of the most powerful ninjas of the current world. The fact was sinking in for him. But of course, he could also tell that Loki had helped him setup the stage so he didn''t defeat Obito personally. There was still a long way to go and another reason why Obito got defeated was because he looked down on Aoto and he was mainly focused on Loki from the get go. That was his doom. "Congrats on the win." Loki said and for the first time he genuinely appreciated Aoto. All this time he had been very strict with the teaching and magic. Aoto nodded with a satisfied smile. Happy that he progressed well. Aoto opened a portal and then both of them left through that. They had to leave because he could hear the shouts of shinobis coming from the village. The ''hunt'' for Itachi was on at this point and they didn''t want to meddle. In fact before they left, Loki had changed the whole scenery back to the way it was, using time magic. The shinobis wouldn''t be able to sense anything. No even with the Inazuka clan''s help. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Aoto was back home and didn''t immediately leave for Westeros because he was pretty sure that Danzo and his subordinates would keep their eyes on them. Even though they have annihilated the Uchiha clan, an autocrat like Danzo would want to divert their anger in order to keep the village united and what more way to do then go after Aoto himself. For some reason, Aoto had the feeling that Danzo would go down the same path as some of the people of his previous world. Danzo would fire up those people who were already jealous of him and cook some kind of theories of he was sucking the lives of the poor and thus garner strength over time. Unlike last time, they couldn''t use actual strength to bring Aoto and his goons down. Only by moral support he could and Danzo had been rallying for the purpose for quite sometime now. Over the next few days, there had been an atmosphere of tension and agitation. People were very much afraid and though the main culprit had been declared as Itachi, and some of them got relieved but a person who could destroy his own clan was someone to be afraid of. Meanwhile, Sasuke had been bed ridden. Itachi didn''t even need to use mangekyo to give him a lifetime of mental trauma as he didn''t have one, but nonetheless he was taken to hospital and Unohana was keeping an eye on him. Naruto was very sad when he came to know that Sasuke lost his parents. He had always been a bit jealous of Sasuke and had been trying his best to catch up on him. Before when he was failing in ninjutsu he felt himself vastly inferior and only after the advent of magic did he develop a bit of spine. Naruto, now had a family, but Sasuke had lost and he remembered how he used to feel when he didn''t have parents. Hopefully everything had been alright. Aoto did notice that Naruto had been silent since the massacre and even asked Naruto if he wanted to talk but he refused. While this was going on, one day one of the Anbu Roots showed up at the house of Aoto. It was late at night when he did so and asked for Aoto. "Did they grow some balls since last time?" Jon asked when he opened the door as everyone had been having dinner together tonight. "Who knows." Aoto said. The Anbu pretended that he didn''t hear them and asked Aoto. "Danzo-sama asks for your presence." "Then tell Danzo-sama that he can be happy with his own presence." Aoto replied. "You dare speak Danzo-sama..." Before the Anbu could even speak his words, he felt a constriction in his airflow and felt like the air had just escaped his lungs. The air seemed to heavy to breathe and within a few seconds he knew that he was being choked and someone was doing this without even moving. He was horrified. "I.. I... You.. Will .. I.. am .. from... from... Konoha...." The Anbu''s emotions fluctuated in the few seconds that he was trying to speak. At first he wanted to threaten Aoto only to feel the air he was vaguely breathing leaving in the fastest way possible at the time and could only use the emotional card. Thankfully Aoto let him and fell on the ground while coughing loudly. He had never felt so much fear before. He had only heard that Aoto was a monster before and even his colleagues had warned him not to stepover. Of course, he was too proud to think much of a person who couldn''t even pass the Academy. 224. You either die a hero Maybe Danzo had sent this arrogant fool so that he could go after Aoto later and was actually expecting him to die. Sadly Aoto didn''t want blood spilled in the doorway, especially when they were having their peaceful dinner. Naruto was numb to it because over time he did get to know that there were always some bad people around after his kidnapping. Though the Academy believed in the Will of Fire and so did Naruto but overtime he accepted the process that the fire that burns the will can also give out fumes which can be toxic. As Aoto had put it. "The fire can burn in many kinds of flames starting from orange, red, black, blue and all different colors." Aoto had said. "Whoa... There are black flames?" "Yes, and one day you will see it at play. And a piece of advice Naruto, never touch the black flames. Not even with magic. Of course, if you unlock the celestial magic then you do what you see fit. Speaking of blue flames. Corazon we need to find the natural gas reserves....." Aoto was too distracted about the gas reserves to speak more about the Will of Fire or the black flames but those words had stayed with Naruto and it had an impact on him as he started to see the world without the tinted glass but still maintained his innocence. Anyways, coming to the point. The Anbu man slowly found his breath and calmed himself. A part of him wanted to rage at these fools who had continued to eat. But he knew that he couldn''t negotiate this way and in no way Aoto was going to leave. He couldn''t find the words and was just silently on his knees. Aoto felt a bit bad for him and thus said. "Tell that one eyed asshole that if he wants to talk he can come to me and talk like a man. But don''t dish out orders like he is the Hokage. He is alive because I let him be. Not because I am trying to maintain some kind of status quo in the village." This made him speechless but he didn''t speak any more words and just vanished from his spot. Arya, who was busy chomping down some noodles, said. "I wish I can be as fast as them." Aoto said. "There are some Eldtrich magic that can help in speed." Edward said. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "I can help you in refitting some clothing and boots that won''t make you feel dizzy." Winry added. Arya''s eyes shone as she then started to speak with Edward and Winry and try to figure out to maker herself faster. "Who was the man?" Naruto wanted to know as the drama had just happened in front of his eyes. "From the Anbu Roots. You will get to know about them later." Aoto said and didn''t want to speak more about him. Naruto had already been exposed to too much of Danzo and his people. Knowing too much at his age was bad. As expected there was no response from Danzo, but another person did show up instead of Danzo. It was the day later when Hiruzen showed up. He seemed to be pretty high as he stepped inside his office pretty late at night after the shops were closed. "Ah Hokage-sama.. Had fun with her?" Aoto directly asked as it was almost known that Hiruzen was kind of dating Winry''s grandma. They would sit and hang around quite a lot, talked about life and the general views of things around. Maybe that was one of the reasons why Hiruzen had a change of heart over the years. A lonely person could go down a very dark path of self sabotage and maybe Grandma had helped him get out of his bubble and express himself. "You make it sound like I am committing some sort of crime." Hiruzen clapped back. "Of course not, I am just waiting for you to make it official." Aoto teased to which Hiruzen just rolled his quite red eyes. "You want me to get you something to make your high feeling go away?" "You better not think of doing something like this. Your weed gave me relief today for all the pain I have suffered today." Hiruzen said, and Aoto just put up his arms in surrender. But Aoto did bring out some tea for him to calm down as he was sure Hiruzen must have stumbled here for a specific purpose. After a good thirty minutes drinking session and calming himself down, Hiruzen said very seriously. "Danzo is now officially banned from Konoha''a administration. And the other advisors are sent away to the daimyo as an advisor to daimyo while a group of Anbu ops who are loyal to me will keep an eye on them always." This really surprised Aoto as he didn''t expect for the Hokage to stick to his words the last time they spoke and carried out in action. "Doing this will break the clan." Aoto said. "I have used the same strategy you used. I humiliated them in open about the back deals with Danzo and how they kidnapped Naruto for their own power." Hiruzen said with a proud smirk. "So you stooped to their level." Aoto said. "For the better of Konoha, I am ready to be the villain." "You either die a hero, or Live long enough to see yourself turn to a villain." Aoto said those classic lines and this made Hiruzen shudder a bit. He knew what Aoto meant and was old enough to understand why Aoto was saying that. He was old enough that he was slowly turning to a villain. But there was nothing he could do. "When push comes to shove I hope you will look after my family." Hiruzen said as he got up at the end to leave. "You are thinking too much Hokage-sama, go and sleep." Aoto replied. 225. I can see the leylines Hiruzen just shook his head and left. Hiruzen had come to tell that nobody would bother them anymore and he could go out as he liked. Though the trade of many things had a huge change in logistics due to the disappearance of Konoha it didn''t affect Aoto. But even then Aoto and his small family didn''t leave for Westeros and they also had to make sure that Naruto was looked after when they would leave. This had been a concern and one of the reason why not everyone leaves together for Westeros. Thankfully, the Academy had one day decided to have a general outing and camping for a few days away from the village to teach the student about survival. And it was a compulsory education. Aoto decided to close the shop and even the company for a few days to leave for Westeros. Even Hans Zimmer, who had zero knowledge about magic was interested to go to Westeros as he had heard and read about them before too. Hans had been having quite the time in Konoha as he had finally launched a small movie on television. Though he was never a producer and was always interested in music but the thought of leaving a legacy in a new world seemed to have grown on him and thus had become ambitious. He was even able to find someone to hang out and date which was quite interesting. The survival was for a week and thus Aoto had sent letters and instruction before hand to both Land of Iron and the Iwagakure for this mini vacation. "Naruto, we will go for a vacation too." Aoto had said. "Its about time. You have been lazing around the home all your life." Naruto teased. "You have some guts to tease me boy." Aoto got angry and started to run after him with the ladle in his hand with which he was cooking and Naruto jumped around like a monkey. Naruto was laughing like a maniac, while Aoto just smiled as he ran. The next day, Naruto left early and everyone gathered in the library, including Hans. Hans had entered a handful of times as it was judged very early that he almost had no talent in magic and he too didn''t have much interest in it. But the people living around weren''t the only ones ready to leave. Chomei and Hiashi were ready too. They have been already alerted and notified that they would leave for another world. Chomei and Hiashi were surprised about them getting the permission to be free and be taken to a new world, but they were very happy nonetheless. Stolen novel; please report. "So I can transform into my original form?" Chomei smirked and asked. "If you want to be hunted by normal human beings or be prayed like a God, then you can try." Aoto said. "Can''t wait to see the looks of their faces." Chomei was ready to unleash his true self for sure. "Do remember that they have dragons around." Aoto reminded. "Dragons? You mean like a tailed beast dragon?" Hiashi was surprised and curious about the new world they were about to step in. "No. Just a normal dragon, dragon. Who you can kill quite easily." Arya said. Arya just like others at this point didn''t have much of a huge regard for dragons after watching and knowing so much. "Then I would love to play with them." Chomei said. "They are not that intelligent and can''t talk." Aoto said. "Than what the fuck are they?" Chomei was annoyed knowing that but Aoto just shrugged and soon opened a portal. Everyone soon stepped out and they found themselves in an open land filled with grass and perfunctory trees around. As they entered through the gates, the sight before them was still very much a work in progress. The structures were hastily erected. Wooden scaffolding surrounded some buildings, indicating ongoing construction, while others stood completed with fresh coats of red paint and the distinctive Uchiha banners swaying gently in the breeze. The Uchiha, having arrived just about two weeks ago, were still in the process of transforming this corner of Westeros into their new home. Some were constructing dwellings with swift efficiency, while others were clearing the surrounding land for future expansion. In the newly made training ground just around the place, the sound of kunai hitting targets and the occasional puff of smoke from a well-executed jutsu filled the air. It was clear that, despite the recent upheaval, the Uchiha were wasting no time in rebuilding their martial prowess. The communal spaces were still taking shape, with makeshift market stalls set up to provide the essentials. The Ember Palace, the central structure of the settlement, was in its early stages. The foundation had been laid, and skilled craftsmen were working on the intricate details that would make it a symbol of the Uchiha''s endurance. As they reached the palace, a very young kid came running to them and hugged Arya. "Otototoo... Lyanna.. you should watch where you step." Arya said as she hugged the kid back. The kid was growing well and Arya always had a very soft spot for her as she was named after her aunt, whom she never met but only heard stories about. "Sister, you have been gone for so long and you promised that you will meet me soon. Why didn''t you come?" Lyanna sulked as she asked that. "I am sorry Lyanna. See, whom I brought? Your sister Winry is here." Arya said. This made Lyanna and made her forget about her anger towards Arya and hugged Winry too. Everyone had a smile in their faces as they saw the kid, even Chomei. "The air smells so raw. It''s almost like the time I was with my father." Chomei said. "The world is still new and haven''t been advanced as of yet though there are some forms of magic. Very low level magic but its there." Aoto said. "Yes, I can see some ley lines of Edltrich magic here." Hiashi said as his byakugan suddenly came to life. 226. Pity covered by guilt With Hinata showing up for magic lessons many times, her father, in order to pass time and teach his own daughter, took up magic lessons himself. He was of medium talent, with a particular emphasis on pantheonic magic. He started to grasp magic over time, though it wasn''t extraordinary, but it did help boost his power levels by various degrees. After Lyanna joined them, Fugaku came out, and he wasn''t alone. Along with him, Ned was there too, wearing the formal and official dress code of the Northerners for House Stark. The only absent thing was the fur coat, signifying that he was here on an official visit. Suffice to say, watching the Uchihas opened his eyes to degrees he wouldn''t have believed in his entire lifetime. He had seen how these people worked and the abilities they possessed. A huge part of him was afraid, but he also knew that it was temporary. One day they would return to their place, and the ''rent'' they would pay for being here was to take down the Night King. At first, he thought not all of these people would be capable of fighting, but watching a single one of them blow fire from their mouth enough to char him and at least a dozen of his men in one move made him realize that it would be foolish if he thought the Kingdom ever had a chance. And that wasn''t even their prime power. They were assassins to begin with, and killing them would be like killing babies. So, he made some rules for them so that they would feel safe and not ostracized by any degree. "Fugaku-san, I hope you like the new place," Aoto said as he came forward. Fugaku bowed his head and thanked him again. "You have done us a favor that is probably unforgettable for our clan. Your name would be written on the ancestry tablet of the Uchihas," Fugaku said. "Hahaha... No... I don''t want that. My name written on the same tablet as Madara? Oh hell no," Aoto said. This made Fugaku awkwardly laugh for a bit. He then said in a shy manner. "We are trying to remove his name from the tablet, but the general consensus of the people of the clan aren''t very up and forward with it," Fugaku said. Personally, he wanted to delete that name. By now, he fully trusted Aoto, and, in fact, among the war heroes of the Uchiha, the name of Obito was removed silently. "He is a legend of the Uchihas, and honestly, he is just someone who is being manipulated. Nothing more. Can''t blame him for that," Aoto said, to which Fugaku shook his head and replied. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "He is old enough to understand what is reality and what is virtual. Just because he is more powerful and a genius, he decided to play god. As you have said, he even achieved Rinnegan before his death due to injecting Hashirama''s cells. But then he decided to snatch freedom from the lives of others, and we can''t let that happen." "Well, he is broken enough. Lost his parents and his brothers. This traumatizes people and makes them believe in a foolish dream," Aoto couldn''t finish the words when Edward chimed in and said. "Can you stop with war advice and war stories? We have enough life problems to think about war now." This made everyone laugh, and Aoto had to apologize. Fugaku called everyone in for a proper welcome. Chomei and Hiashi were very excited as they felt like they were out of prison and wanted to roam around. So after the warm welcome of the Uchihas was done, Chomei was the first to say goodbye. It didn''t take time for Chomei to get out and just fly away. Of course, Chomei wasn''t dumb enough to unleash the full form of seven tails. Chomei turned into a hawk and just flew away into the horizon. "Chomei has progressed a lot in transformation," Loki said, as he himself had taught Chomei and he was proud of the progress. Hiashi, meanwhile, had decided to hang around the Uchihas before he went back to the library to see his daughter. Ned too had attended the welcome and talked with Aoto for quite a bit about the plans of the future. Since Aoto and the rest came from a much modern world, as the Hand of the King, he wanted to take some ideas and implement them. There was only one piece of advice that Aoto gave him for faster progress. "You need to build roads. Roads that are sturdy and smooth. It means very little in the grand scheme of things but it''s actually the most pivotal part of civilization." "Roads? Is that it?" Ned was surprised that the main advice to him was for building roads. He knew that roads were important for the ease of business, but he didn''t expect that the civilization''s advancement would be attached to it. "Yes. Only that can elevate better governance, advancement, safety, food, and security of the people. Other things that the Kingdom requires can be easily received at the shop, but for now, I would say to build roads," Aoto said. Ned understood and promised to think about it and make necessary changes. Ned left with some of his most trusted guards. Like him, they too were horrified seeing these people appear out of nowhere. Thankfully, these men were only loyal to Ned and not to the Kingdom. And seeing such a good relationship with their Warden gave them peace. "Hopefully, they won''t antagonize us," Fugaku said. "I hope so too. I would hate to see small houses crumble under your feet." Aoto laughed, to which Fugaku just smiled. If it was in Konoha and somebody told him that, he would have felt proud. But here he had a mixed sense of feeling. A feeling of pity covered up with guilt. Fugaku knew well enough that this world might turn violent pretty soon because of their presence. 227. Its always the Lannisters Aoto spent a lot of time with the Uchiha in this outing in the Westeros. He and others used magic to make the pace better. The castle had been run down and Loki with his time magic restored the castle to its former glory and with other forms of magic they renovated the castle in a much more grander, better and secured way. Lyanna was particularly very excited seeing the magic and vowed to learn once she grew up. The system had told him once that Lyanna too had high talent of magic like her brother Sasuke, so he was happy to teach her in the future and Loki even showed her some tricks. Lyanna loved it and had started parading around showing everyone what Loki had taught her, which was making the birds around come to her and give her love. Everyone was amused by it and patted Lyanna for learning this tricks. Only the old people could tell that this small trick could be extremely helpful in assassinations and scouting. Fugaku was very happy that Lyanna had shown interest in the library and was grateful that Aoto had been open minded of teaching her magic. He wanted to learn too but he dare not ask for it because he remembered how Aoto dealt with the two old people who had forcibly tried to take away knowledge from Naruto. Aoto and the rest stayed with the Uchihas and had a small vacation. Of course, what good a vacation would be if there was no incident. After 2 days of making the place better and livable, they were visited by some guests. It had to be understood that when the Uchihas landed at the Bronzegate and took over the castle, there were some people living in the town. It was of miniscule amount but it was there and their words had spread around. That day, an envoy from a nearby House, draped in fine Westerosi attire, approached the Uchiha residence. The envoy, a representative of House Thorne, bore a stern countenance and a parchment in hand. With a practiced bow, he introduced himself as Ser Harlan, a loyal servant of House Thorne. "Good day, Lord Uchiha. We''ve heard of your recent arrival, and House Thorne extends its greetings to your esteemed family. However, the privilege of residing in Bronzegate comes with certain responsibilities," Ser Harlan declared, his eyes flickering with a hint of authority. There were pleasantries which were exchanged in the beginning "We have been given this land under the proper documented orders of Ser Ned Stark of Winterfell and Hand to the King, himself. I am sorry but to what do we owe the responsibilities." Fugaku said as someone brought him a parchment of paper. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Both exchanged paper as Ser Harlan had brought his demands to Fugaku too. With a flourish, the envoy unfolded the parchment, revealing a list of fees and tributes that the Uchihas were expected to pay to House Thorne for the privilege of settling in Bronzegate. The amounts were substantial, and the terms were presented with an air of non-negotiability. And Ser Harlan, was not expecting that the Hand of the King had actually used a seal in the documents. The Houses nearby were actually informed from before and it was the Lannisters, who had come and asked them to be the intermediary. Their houses were not even close and there was quite a distance, but Lannisters assured their House that they could use any excuse and get money out of them. How could House Thorne give up the chance and thus showed up at the doorstep of the Uchihas. But now that he saw the parchment, he was a bit surprised but he didn''t want to back down, especially when the Lannisters had given them their backing. He wanted to double down and Fugaku could see the different expressions on the face of the envoy. He knew that he would have to speak here. After a moment of contemplative silence, he finally spoke. "House Thorne, we appreciate the traditions of this land and respect the laws that govern it. However, our clan is not one to be easily burdened by the weight of gold. We come from a land where strength and honor hold greater value than mere currency." Ser Harlan, taken aback by the dignified response, adjusted his stance. "Lord Uchiha, these fees are customary, and all residents of Bronzegate contribute to the prosperity of the region. Surely, your esteemed family can understand the importance of such contributions." Fugaku nodded slowly. "We understand the ways of Westeros, Ser Harlan. But make no mistake ¨C the Uchihas bring strength, discipline, and a unique set of skills to Bronzegate. We do not seek conflict, but we will not yield easily to the demands placed upon us. Especially not when we have the actual orders of the Hand of the King himself." The envoy, recognizing the firm resolve in Fugaku''s eyes, took a step back recognizing that he was in enemy''s territory. "I shall convey your message to House Thorne, Lord Uchiha. May this be the beginning of a harmonious coexistence between our houses." With a courteous nod, Fugaku bid farewell to Ser Harlan, watching as the envoy retreated from the Uchiha residence. When the envoy left, he didn''t notice that a hawk high above was following him and also a very beautiful butterfly that struck on the back of the envoy. "I am surprised that you have learnt the local language that early and fast." Aoto as she came out of the mirror dimension. He had seen and heard everything through there. "It''s not that difficult to be honest and your books helped a lot." Fugaku said. Since their language differed by a lot, Aoto had provided them language books which was now being taught to everyone. "What do you want to do about him?" Aoto asked. "Want to follow for now and see where he is getting all the juice from." Fugaku said. "Its probably the Lannisters." Arya didn''t hide her hatred for them at all. 228. They made it better "There.. There... You shouldn''t be so prejudiced." Aoto said. Arya rolled her eyes and said "I bet that it is them. We are very close to their homes and they definitely wouldn''t like someone who is sponsored by the us Northerners." Arya said. Aoto didn''t reply to that and waited for the scouts to gather information. It would take some time so Aoto wasn''t really interested in the information gathering. "Its the Thornes again." Jon mumbled, the title Thorne had ignited quite a number of memories. His death under the hands of his own men and then coming to life to kill the Thorne that had taken his life the night before. Aoto and the rest had a great time for the week with celebration almost every other day, almost so that they had forgotten for the same incident of the House Thorne. But the small number of people of Thorne hadn''t forgotten. After the envoy returned, he gave away what was written in the parchment and that it was an actual seal. "How dare someone, who isn''t even decreed as a House can threaten us with those words. This is unacceptable. I will take it up with the King himself." Ser Alaric Thorne declared in a loud voice. (Yes I know Alliser was the last of Thornes and he died under the Longclaw of Jon himself among the Nights Watch. He was the supposed last one from the Thornes since they were very close to the Targeryans and the rest were either killed or exiled. Just take him as an imaginary child of Alliser and loyal to the King or something among those lines.) The envoy was a cousin of Alaric and of course he was in support of the House Thorne. The envoy of Lannisters was also present when messenger arrived. He was waiting for this and now they could proceed with the plan. Though the Thornes were almost never in connection with the Lannisters but using this pretext, they could spread their influence further. And hopefully get the throne. Well that was the plan at least for the Lannisters for a long time. Soon the messages were sent to Lord Tywin and how they would want to proceed. Of course, all of this was unknown to Jaime and Cersei. And if both had known that Ned just brought new people into their land, they would have asked their father to stay away from them. If possible, never interact with them but who knew that their "loving" father would willfully run towards the edge of the cliff. Soon Alaric with his handful of guards left for King''s Landing to start the process of demanding the Uchihas to be removed and brought under some House, because they were under the Stark and they couldn''t be this further south. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. In a way this was a racism and humans being petty just for the sake of it but it is what it is. After 2 days, Alaric had showed up at King''s Landing and asked for an audience with the King, to which Robert responded to meet. Even though he was a bit annoyed and drunk, he did show up for the audience. In the grand halls of the Red Keep, King Robert Baratheon, sat upon his imposing throne, surrounded by advisors and courtiers. As the bustle of the court echoed through the chamber, a sense of tension lingered in the air, for whispers of a brewing conflict had reached the ears of the king. The heavy doors swung open, and Alaric Thorne, the Lord of House Thorne, strode into the throne room with an air of urgency. Ned, who was beside the King, was also present and he couldn''t help but shake his head seeing the high class acting of Thorne. "Arya had said that her friend was looking for good actors for a play. Maybe I can recommend this person." Of course, Ned never spoke it out loud and was just thinking in his head. Sometimes, even the Wolf needs to laugh like a fox. "Your Grace," Alaric called out, his voice echoing through the hall. "I beseech you for an audience to address a matter of utmost importance." King Robert, his gaze sharp and unwavering, regarded Lord Thorne with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. "Speak, Lord Thorne. What troubles you this day?" Alaric approached the throne, his footsteps echoing with each measured step. "Your Grace, I come to you with grave news from the lands of Bronzegate. A new family, the Uchihas, has arrived from the North and taken residence in our lands without proper authorization." A murmur rippled through the court as the king''s advisors exchanged wary glances. King Robert leaned forward, his expression darkening with concern. "Uchihas, you say? From the North? Explain yourself, Lord Thorne." Alaric straightened his posture, his voice resonating with righteous indignation. "Your Grace, House Thorne has long held dominion over the lands of Bronzegate, and we have upheld our duties to the crown with unwavering loyalty. Yet now, these interlopers from the North seek to encroach upon our territory and claim it as their own." The king''s brow furrowed as he mulled over Alaric''s words. "And what proof do you have of these claims, Lord Thorne? Accusations alone are not enough to warrant action." Lord Thorne produced a parchment from his cloak, presenting it to the king with a solemn demeanor. "Your Grace, I have here reports from our scouts and witnesses who attest to the presence of the Uchihas in Bronzegate. I implore you to take swift and decisive action to address this trespass and restore order to our lands. And they have the stamp of the Hand of King." This brought more silence followed by murmur in the Red Keep, as everyone turned around to see Ned, who was just looking around like any other person in the huge hall. When Robert turned and gave him a face, did Ned sit upright a bit and said. "The Uchihas came from higher North Side of the Wall and they have been living under harsh conditions. The Bronzegate, even though is under the Thornes, the castle hadn''t been repaired since the First King of the Seven Kingdoms. The Uchihas in a very short time have remodeled it and made it fit for stay." 229. I am the dark knight "That doesn''t give them the right to occupy the castle," Robert said. "Yes, that is true, my Grace. But they will be paying twice the amount of taxes than the Thornes had been paying for the castle. It will be good for our treasury," Ned said, and this brought murmurs in the whole hall. They hadn''t expected that the new family was even ready to pay twice the amount. The Lannisters and the Thornes hadn''t expected that kind of counterattack. Ned, in order to show sincerity, showed him the agreement. Robert was annoyed and just eyeballed the whole agreement and understood that there was a very strict agreement with the Uchihas. They were required to pay double, and if it was not paid, they would have to pay them back with imprisonment or more fine. Robert, after seeing the agreement, looked at Alaric and said, "The Uchihas would pay more tribute to the kingdom, and if they are not able to do so in the next 6 months, required action would be taken upon them. In addition to this, the Uchihas wouldn''t be recognized as a House for the next 3 years." Robert said. For the first time, Ned saw his friend playing the diplomat and trying to play ''cool'' as his daughter now puts it, but little did Robert know that the Uchihas had never been penned down as a House in the registry kept by the Grand Maester of the Red Keep. "That would be their honor, my Grace," Ned spoke, acknowledging the whole fact. Alaric was furious. Not only was he unsuccessful in ousting the Northerners from the land, but he also got reassurance that they would be able to stay here with a little bit of extra pay. Alaric looked at the representative of the Lannisters, and he could see that his face had also turned ugly. "It will be my honor to serve you, Your Grace, and also we will make sure that the Uchihas would do justice to the agreement done by the Hand of the King," Alaric said. "I will see to that, Ser Alaric," Ned said. He didn''t need to be as diplomatic here as he didn''t like the Thornes. He had heard about them from his son, so he didn''t have a good impression of them. Alaric didn''t stay for much time and left after that while Robert attended to other people of the court. After the session ended, Ned went back to his office, only to be welcomed by Arya. "ARYA!!... You need to knock sometimes," Ned said. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Oh, I am sorry father. I didn''t have that luxury when I was in the wild," Arya replied. "I am sorry. It will never happen again," Ned said as he could understand that his daughter was still in a bit of trauma, and that was the reason she clung to him a bit after what had gone down. "What did the Thornes say?" Arya asked. She didn''t spy on them as she felt it was not necessary. "They were not happy but I was able to get the Uchihas 6 months to prove themselves." Ned said. "Knowing the Lannisters, I am sure that they wouldn''t let the upcoming time pass by peacefully." This statement made both Arya and Ned smile. They would love that Lannisters to try that and get their ass handed over to them. After the complaint didn''t bear any fruit, the Thornes didn''t seem to bother them anymore and even the surrounding Houses had treated them like they didn''t exist. Of course, it didn''t mean that there was no trade and one of the first things the Uchihas started to trade was fabric. After coming here they realized that the people wear very bad quality clothes and thus needed a better makeover. At first the small town surrounding the castle didn''t believe that this new clan of Northerners could have better quality clothes as most of them looked down upon them and saw them as savages but once the fabric was sold, the same people started singing in a different tune. In just a month or so he fabrics had started to spread to the surrounding Houses and thus it helped the Uchihas get money out of it. Of course, this was just a start and the Uchihas would try to amass more wealth over time using the knowledge and technology they possessed. Few weeks had gone by since the incident in the King''s Landing, and finally there was some movement around Bronzegate. Disguised in rugged cloaks and masks, a band of Lannister soldiers crept through the darkness towards the Uchiha estate, their footsteps muffled by the whisper of the wind. As they neared the Uchiha compound, the one leading the whole charge signaled for his men to halt, a silent command rippling through their ranks. With a glance, he motioned for them to fan out, encircling the perimeter of the town like silent sentinels poised to strike. "Keep your blades at the ready," The leader murmured, his voice a low growl in the stillness of the night. "Tonight, we rid ourselves of these Northern pests and reclaim what is rightfully ours and should belong to us." The surroundings of the Bronzegate was kind of barren with sparse trees here and there. Thus there wasn''t much cover and could only approach the town. The leader then turned to the side to indicate him to enter the town after climbing the walls, but only to see in horror that someone else was standing on the same side, and his subordinate was lying on the ground. "What the..." Before he could speak he felt a cold sensation in his neck, followed by a rush of hot liquid flowing down. He started coughing and gurgling in his own blood before he passed out and died. He wasn''t the only one who was facing the predicament. All 85 men who had come to ambush the Uchihas, were either dead or passed out. They were ninjas to begin with, so of course they were the masters of the night. 230. Its quite late at night It was actually quite a swift action. The Lannisters mixed with some Thornes soldiers didn''t stand a chance. The element of surprise was theirs to wield, and they used it to devastating effect. Swift and silent as shadows, the Uchiha warriors struck with precision, catching the Lannisters off guard and throwing them into disarray. Some of the soldiers sensed something was wrong and launched an attack. But it didn''t materialize, and they were crushed before they could even shout or ask for help properly. If it were daylight, maybe they would have some kind of help, but choosing the night to attack was the most dumb thing they could ever do. They didn''t stand a chance. From the shadows emerged Fugaku, Arya, Ned, and Jon. They were the ones who were here at the moment while the others had returned back to Konoha, including Loki. It had been some time since the first meeting with the Thornes, so of course they wouldn''t be here. Only Jon and Arya come to visit this place quite often, and today was one of those days that they were present. When the Lannisters and the Thornes first showed up on the distant border, the Uchihas'' guards immediately alerted the castle. They instantly went into defensive mode. In order to take some advice, Fugaku asked for Ned, to which he promptly replied. His allegiance lied with the Kingdom, not with the small Houses, so morally he was right, and that''s what Ned cared about at the end. "That was boring," Arya said, not at all impressed. She wanted to go and kill these men, but Ned didn''t allow it. She was his daughter, and of course, no matter how high and mighty she was at the moment, as a father, he could never allow her to go to a battlefield. "War and battles are not meant to be exciting," Ned said, as he couldn''t understand how his daughter was excited about the killing part. "Wrong, they are pretty. I have been in multiple ones which are interesting," Arya argued back. Ned was speechless hearing his daughter say those words casually. Maybe he needed to talk with Aoto and set some things straight. Soon one of the shinobis brought a soldier to them. The soldier, dressed in ragged clothes and disguised as a bandit, came after being dragged by his collar by the shinobi. He had horror and pain written all over his face, and it seemed like he had been punched in the face, probably because the shinobi might have gotten irritated by his screaming. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Arya did some hand signs, and soon the earth itself moved and took the man away from the shinobi and held him high using tentacles that seemed to come out of the earth itself. The soldier was horrified seeing that as he could hardly see through his one swollen eye. "Where are you from?" The soldier was silent and seemed to refuse to speak. Arya took out her sword and placed it on his neck. This made the soldier twitch and look at Arya, he didn''t recognize these people, but he did recognize Ned. He couldn''t understand how Ned Stark was here, since it was proven that he was in King''s Landing, and the Hand of the King couldn''t leave the capital so easily. So how was he able to travel such a long distance, and that too without the knowledge of anyone? This was bad news. He wanted to make a run to the small outpost and say what he had found, but living in this world he knew how he would be treated. "I ask again, where are you from?" "Fuck you, you tiny piece of who...." The man couldn''t even finish his words before his head was chopped off. And the one to swing the sword was Ned himself. He didn''t care who he belonged to, but he wouldn''t let anyone talk in such a way to his daughter, not after what he had known. "Well, there goes the torture," Arya said. "It''s not needed. They will understand what happened here once they see nobody is returning. Get rid of the bodies and the outpost," Fugaku ordered, and two shinobis vanished to execute his order. "Maybe the Lannisters now would officially declare war upon us," Jon said. "Then why don''t we just kill him. At least he doesn''t need to die by the hands of his own son," Arya said. "What?" Ned asked. "Tyrion killed his father, but I don''t think it will happen in this timeline. Because Joffrey can only die by my hands and my hands alone," Arya said, but Ned was confused, and Jon had to reiterate what Tyrion did and how he was the Hand of the King for two Kings. This surprised Ned as he didn''t expect Tyrion to be the good lad. "Then we should lend him a hand," Ned said. Jon just shrugged his shoulders. Arya opened a portal for her father to go back home while both of them took care of their own work here in Bronzegate.
After 2 days. Cersei had come to meet Ned at his office, quite late at night. If anyone knew that she was going towards his room, one would think that these two were having an affair. Thankfully, there was nothing of that sort. Ned was reading a book, which his daughter had given him to get an understanding of her world. As he read about her world, the more horrified he was. Knock... Knock.. Ned got up and opened the door, while keeping his dagger on the side. He knew that he was being protected by magic, thanks to Winry''s new locket, which would defend him from any physical attack for an hour before losing its power, and the dagger was also a magical one, making it sharper. Sadly, he couldn''t use it to its full potential as he wasn''t a sorcerer or a mage himself. Suffice to say, he was surprised to see her so late at night. "My Queen, it''s quite late at night." 231. There is something wrong with this place The Queen didn''t reply; she simply looked behind and to the sides to see if anyone was nearby. Ned could see that the Queen was in her nightgown, and if it were any other time, Ned would have thought that this woman had come to his place to seduce him. The gown was flimsy, touching her body in all the right places. Without replying, she forced herself in and locked the door immediately. Ned still had the dagger in her left hand, hidden, somewhat Assassin''s Creed style. After Cersei came in, there was pin-drop silence, and Ned was just waiting for her to reply. He wasn''t scared of her or anything like that, not even of any allegations she might make to the king. The black finger on her hand was the guarantee that she would never cross the line. After the initial silence, her eyes welled up with tears as she looked at Ned. She had been holding herself together for quite some time, but now she felt like breaking apart. What power? What fame? Everything had gone down the drain. "I... I am sorry for my father''s attack on the Bronzegate... I... I... I didn''t know that my stupid father would go and attack your men," Cersei said. "Please... Please... Please don''t kill my father... I am begging you... Please... Jaime and I will leave the capital if you want. Just, please, don''t hurt my father." Ned was impressed that Cersei knew what was going on, maybe because her own father had contacted her to find out about me, thus spilling the beans. She must have freaked out knowing what her father had tried to do. Shikuro had come a few days ago and went to their House to spy and find out what was going on. It was revealed that Tywin was pretty confused about how his men had vanished into thin air one night and had even sent multiple spies to see where the soldiers went or even their bodies. After the revelation, Shikuro wasn''t done with it and sabotaged many logistics of their army, like the weapon storage place and many other things, which harmed the Lannisters financially. Tywin felt like something was wrong and thus asked Cersei to help Ned and find out more info. This was the reason Cersei was here, and she didn''t bother to reply to her father, as she thought he wouldn''t meddle with the Bronzegate incident. But it seemed like her own anxiety had made her lose focus on the things happening around her and thus didn''t see the potential for the Bronzegate problem to blow up in this way. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "My Queen, I have no idea what you are talking about," Ned said, lying right to her face. Cersei''s eyes welled with more tears as she looked at Ned. She knew that Ned was lying, and there was no way this person didn''t know. She went down on her knees and joined her hands in prayer. "Please, Ser Ned Stark, I beg you. Please, don''t hurt my father," Cersei said. Ned, looking at her, caught her by her shoulders and brought her up to her feet. "My Queen, I will be honest. I really don''t know what is happening with your father, but I will ask my men to back off from him if you think they are attacking House Lannister. That is the only thing I can do. I don''t control the other houses," Ned said. Those words came as some kind of divine message for Cersei as she started crying now. Ned was a bit scared seeing her cry and didn''t know what to say. Though this person disgusted him a lot, he just couldn''t feel zero emotions for this woman. "My Queen, it''s not very appealing for you to cry in my chambers. If His Grace gets an inkling about it, both of our heads will be chopped off," Ned said. This made Cersei stiffen, and it almost instantly dried her tears. She nodded her head in acceptance and cracked a small, sheepish smile. She got the assurance, and she knew now that Ned wouldn''t go after her father. The pain in her hands, which had now transferred to her finger, was the torture she was reminded of every day. "And please don''t leave King''s Landing. What my children are going to do after, that is not under my control," Ned said. This made Cersei nod her head and accept it. After a few more seconds of awkwardness, she left after saying a small goodbye. After she left, Ned sighed and got back to his bed. He needed to finish reading the book, and honestly, he loved the smell of the book too, as things like this were never available here. Hopefully, her children would start selling books like these.
After the confrontation with the Lannisters, Fugaku Uchiha realized the importance of understanding the customs and dynamics of the land they now called home. Though it was temporary, Aoto did hint that one day he and his fellow men would have to fight a common enemy. These scouts ventured far and wide, from the bustling cities of King''s Landing to the remote villages nestled in the shadow of the Wall. Unlike the locals, these scouts were fast and efficient. Aoto had helped him with accessories taken from an advanced civilization that would help to create a general topographical map of the whole kingdom. The scouts were given as much time as possible. They observed the noble houses vying for power and influence at court, studying their alliances and rivalries with a discerning eye. Venturing northward, they encountered the rugged terrain and harsh climate of the North, where the looming presence of the Wall cast a shadow over the land. The Wall was what really surprised them. The more they heard about the Wall, the more they thought that whatever was beyond was not to be trifled with. 232. The game of thrones A few more months had gone by, and there was no longer any response from the Lannisters. Ned didn''t know what had made his daughter say to him, but the Uchihas were left at peace, and even Ned himself found calmness. Often he would send letters to his wife, saying everything was fine, and due to the butterfly effect, there was no change. But that didn''t mean that over time, the "time" wouldn''t come to mess you up. Robert was suddenly bedridden one day, and the Grand Maester had said that he had some problems. No shit, Sherlock. The fat king himself was screaming that his stomach was in pain. It didn''t take rocket science to know that he had a huge problem with his stomach. When this happened, news was sent all over the kingdom that the King was sick, and from the looks of it, he might die any moment. Ned wanted to help his friend, but over time he realized that maybe, just maybe, he should be more selfish. He had asked for help from his future children, to which Arya replied. "His incompetence in managing the kingdom is costing the lives of people in the kingdom. He has no control over the Houses, and they are doing as they see fit. I read the report of the Uchihas, and it''s worse than I thought. He needs to go. I know he is your friend, and though we can save him, we won''t. I don''t think Aoto will agree to saving his life." "But he is my friend." "A friend who is just arrogant and plain stupid. So much so that you had to make sure that Jon''s father and mother were never known to him. You remained his friend even though you knew the fact that the moment he came to know that Jon was my aunt''s and his son, your friend would have killed him." This made Ned a little dumbstruck as he didn''t have a counter to that. He felt bad for his friend, and there was nothing he could do, or rather, those who could help had refused to help. In his pain, Ned was by his side, and Robert was thankful that his friend didn''t pull some tricks and seemed to be trying his best to take away the pain and make him better. But in a week or so, he went from bad to worse, and after a week of struggle, he died. This sent alarm bells through the whole kingdom. His last moments were just as painful as his supposed ones, and this was more torture for him since his original death came swift, unlike this. The mourning rites came, and everyone paid respects. Many houses sent their envoys, and none of the heads of the House came, fearing assassination in these troubled times. As the rites were being performed inside the Red Keep, Ned was watching everything from the balcony. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. He had a sad face because he lost his friend, but he knew that he couldn''t mourn for long because, as Jon had put it, the game of thrones had already started. As he looked down, Tyrion had come up to talk with him. Tyrion had been hanging around since he had returned from the Wall. Unlike the time when he was caught and imprisoned in Vale, nothing like that happened, and he had returned swiftly. And Tyrion liked talking with Ned. As Tyrion put it. "The Stark head, a man of unyielding principles and unwavering loyalty, though perhaps a bit too fond of his own sense of righteousness. And maybe that is why I like to talk with him." Ned liked him too since he had known the future by now, so he didn''t bother their interactions. "Your friend was a good one." "We both know that it is not true. In your eyes, he is a pig," Ned replied. "I didn''t want to insult the dead." Tyrion felt a bit shy when Ned spoke so straight to him. "Who will be the King now?" Ned asked, curious about Cersei''s intentions. He had observed over time how Joffrey behaved and was aware of King Robert''s illegitimate boy. The boy was hardworking, but Ned wasn''t certain if he would be capable of ruling the kingdom and avoid becoming another King Robert. Honor and bravery were admirable traits, but they alone wouldn''t suffice to make a great King. Ned knew this from his own strict adherence to principles, understanding exactly where it would lead him if he followed a similar path. "If I were to place my bet, it would be on Joffrey," Tyrion said. "And do you think he will be a good one?" Ned inquired. Unlike before, he refrained from confronting Cersei with lofty rhetoric and didn''t concern himself with Robert''s seal, which endorsed Joffrey as the future King. Jon had advised him against it, suggesting they wait and observe how events unfolded. "Are you asking me to criticize our future King?" Tyrion retorted with a smirk. "No, I am asking you as his most detested uncle," Ned replied. "Ah... He will likely go down in history as the worst king the seven kingdoms have ever seen," Tyrion replied, as if he had been longing to voice those sentiments. He didn''t mind that his words could land him in trouble; he was already widely despised, so there wasn''t much worse that could happen to him. "Then who would you like to see on the throne?" Ned asked, catching Tyrion off guard. This question gave Tyrion pause. He entertained the thought of suggesting himself; he was somewhat narcissistic, but he also recognized his limitations. At best, he could aspire to be the Hand of the King. If Joffrey ascended, Tyrion might strive for that position, but if someone else claimed the throne, he wouldn''t stand a chance. Among the current contenders, Ned seemed the most suitable, but his accession could pose problems with other houses. There were two other individuals with claims to the throne: Stannis and Renly. Tyrion personally didn''t know enough about them to make a judgment. All he had heard was that Stannis was a stern man, while Renly was perceived as more effeminate. 233. Run like a b**ch "Mother, why am I not crowned yet as the King of the Seven Kingdoms? I am the oldest among my siblings. I deserve to sit on the Iron Throne," Joffrey demanded of his mother one night after the mourning period for his father had passed. Cersei had been handling everything around, and hearing her son say that made her both angry and bitter. She also wanted her son to sit on the throne, but she knew that doing so would lead to her own demise, as well as that of her son and even Jaime. "Joffrey, my child, your time will come one day. Your uncles will come after us if you sit on the throne. Do you want a throne riddled with wars and assassinations? You might be killed once you sit on the throne," Cersei cautioned. "They wouldn''t dare to lay a hand on me. They didn''t dare to do so when my father sat on the throne. They wouldn''t dare to do so once I sit on the Iron Throne. I will kill my uncles for conspiring against the King and take their heads," Joffrey shouted in anger. "My child, it is not easy to bear the crown. Let it pass, and you will get your throne one day," Cersei said, trying to placate him. "She is lying; you will never sit on the throne," came a voice from the side. Both of them instantly turned around to see a petite woman standing inside their private room. It was Arya. "You," Joffrey was appalled at how someone could enter their room, and he felt like he had seen her somewhere. Cersei''s knees shook as she saw Arya. Without even a moment''s notice, she went down on her knees in front of Arya and said. "Please... Please... Spare my child. I have done everything possible. I have never strayed away from my path. Please spare my child," Cersei pleaded. "Mother," Joffrey was angry that someone invaded their private room and just shouted. "Guards... Guards... Come and get this assassin... Come..." "Nobody is coming. The guards have been killed," Arya said as she ate an apple with a small pointy knife. Cersei''s heartbeat was off the charts as she could tell that Arya had come for business. Joffrey was dumbfounded and didn''t believe her; he just ran out. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Arya didn''t try to stop him and just let him go. He couldn''t run far since she had put up a barrier that wouldn''t allow anyone to come in or leave, no matter what. The barrier was invisible and silent, a small trick that Corazon had taught her while making barriers. Cersei was still on her knees, shaking in fear and agony. She didn''t know what she should do. After a minute or so, Joffrey came back, sweating hard and with a sword in his hand. "You witch... Who the fuck are you? What is happening in my home? Tell me right now, or I will kill you," Joffrey shouted. He was appalled that he couldn''t go out. He saw the dead guards and also came across the barrier to which he tried to break with his hands, sword and even a hammer, but to no avail. This made him sure that the woman was a witch and thus came charging in. Cersei, who was having a mental breakdown, came running towards him and tried taking away the sword. "Mother.. What are you doing?" "I am saving you. You can''t fight her. She can kill us very easily. Listen to me." "You.. Is she the reason I can''t sit on the throne. Good. I understand now. I will kill her and then I will kill you for betraying the throne and your King. That will be lesson for people who conspire against the throne." Cersei was appalled hearing his words. She never thought that her own flesh and blood had become so crazy that he was ready to kill his own mother. She couldn''t believe what she was hearing. Arya''s eye brows arched when she heard that. This guy was beyond crazy. "You know what. I will duel you with swords, and if you can win against me, you will walk free." Arya said. "You don''t get to decide the rules here witch." Joffrey shouted as he charged at her while Cersei shouted ''no''. Arya just waved her hand on which she was wearing the sling ring. A portal opened and the momentum of Joffrey made me pass the portal. The portal was opened again on the other side of the room and his face planted on the floor as he couldn''t contain himself. Joffrey almost felt his world was buzzing as he slowly got up. Cersei looked horrified but hesitated to go and help her son. There was a small cut on his face at the moment as while falling down the sword in his hand nicked at his face. The cut wasn''t that big but blood still flowed down from his face a bit. "Are you ready now to fight me fair and square or do I need to throw you off the cliff of the castle." Arya said. Joffrey was seething in anger but his rationality still prevailed, well at least a bit of rationality. "Come at me witch. I will sever the head from your shoulders." Joffrey said. Cersei screamed no, but Joffrey just looked at her with disgust. Arya walked out of the room while Joffrey followed by, he was tempted to stab her from the back while following her and he did so and this time Arya wasn''t very forthcoming in return like last time. As Joffrey took a swing at her head from behind, a golem rose up from the ground and blocked the attack. Joffrey now looked dumbfounded. The golem not only stopped the attack but also snatched away the sword from his hand. Joffrey was so horrified that he made run on the other side away from the golem while screaming like a mad man but he couldn''t go far as the barrier came into play and since this was an elevated open ground. 234. Lions and wolves Unlike last time, his nose had hit the barrier with quite a momentum and thus his nose was broken and was in a bad shape. Cersei couldn''t stop herself this time and run up to her son. She tore off a piece of her cloth and tried to wipe the blood flowing only to hit by his hand. "Go away you bitch. You have colluded with dark magic. You are not my mother." Joffrey said. "No.. I.." Cersei eyes became wet again as she saw hatred in the eyes of her son for her. She didn''t know what she should do. She loved her children and she was doing everything possible to shelter and save them. "Joffrey Lannister.. Do you accept the duel?" Arya said as she was now standing in the open ground while holding her sword. She didn''t bother to address the fact that Joffrey had tried to sneak attack on him. Joffrey who was trying to get away from his mother, heard Arya say that from far. "No.. Joffrey.. You can''t fight her.. You will die..." Cersei said. "This bitch only knows witchcraft while I know swordfight. I will flay her with my sword and show who is the real king." Joffrey said and even though he was hurt by the flowing nose, that didn''t stop his anger and adrenaline rush. He wanted to kill her badly. Joffrey soon stood against Arya. "I.. Joffrey Baratheon.. Challenge you to a duel." Joffrey said. "Don''t kid yourself.. You are no Baratheon.. You are the purest Lannister." Arya said. "My father was Robert..." Joffrey couldn''t even finish his words when Arya cut him off and said. "Your father was not Robert. Don''t believe me? Ask your mother." Arya said. This made Joffrey subconsciously looked at his mother and she hung her head in shame. That was enough of an answer. He was enraged and vowed to kill her with his own hands after this was over. "As for me? I am Arya Stark, daughter of Ned Stark and a sorcerer." Arya said. "Arya? That bitch from the North? You are a kid.. How did you grow up so fast?" Joffrey in addition to anger was also confused. "You don''t need to know that." Arya said as she indicated him to take the first move. Joffrey, brandishing a finely crafted sword, sneered at her. "Do you truly believe you can best me, little girl?" he mocked, his voice dripping with disdain. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. With a swift motion, Joffrey lunged forward, his blade aimed at Arya''s chest. But Arya danced aside, effortlessly avoiding his strike. "Is that the best you can do?" she taunted, her voice laced with amusement. Enraged by her mockery, Joffrey renewed his assault, his attacks coming faster and fiercer. Yet Arya remained elusive, her movements graceful and precise. With each dodge and parry, she seemed to be toying with him, her laughter ringing out across the courtyard. "You fight like a coward, Joffrey!" Arya jeered, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Is this how the mighty lion of the Westerlands defends his honor?" Joffrey''s face flushed with anger, his pride wounded by Arya''s words. With a roar of frustration, he swung his sword with all his might, but Arya effortlessly deflected his blow, her expression one of pure amusement. "Come now, Joffrey," Arya teased, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I expected more from the great prince of the realm. Or is the lion too afraid to face the wolf?" Infuriated by her taunts, Joffrey charged forward recklessly, leaving himself wide open. With a swift movement, Arya seized the opportunity, her blade finding its mark as she disarmed him with ease. Joffrey stumbled backward, his sword clattering to the ground. Cersei came running in and again begged on the ground to show mercy and blabbered about. "When you killed my brothers, my father, my mother.. And almost all of whom I held dear to, I had promised myself that I would kill you all. Every night I used to sleep by chanting your names. Some of whom I was able to kill while some died before I could kill. Your son here was killed by the Tyrells and you, Cersei, pinned the blame on Tyrion, who by the way saved your lives from Stannis. You, Cersei, died under the fire of the dragons. Yes, the Targeryans and the dragons aren''t dead and they will be coming back soon." Joffrey was confused and even more so for Cersei, of what she was talking. They looked at her with wide eyes. Joffrey shuddered a bit when he heard about the dragons and now his courage was dropping for some reason. He wanted to make a run but Arya had stepped on his hand and leg and thus not enabling him to move anywhere. "What.. What are you talking about?" Cersei couldn''t help but ask. "Whoops.. I spoke too much..." Before Arya could finish of what she was saying, a portal opened nearby and out came John. Jon was stunned looking at Arya over Joffrey while Cersei was groveling. He looked at them for a second before shaking his head. "What is it?" "The Lannisters will be attacking the Uchihas." Jon said. Cersei''s bad dream just changed into a nightmare as she heard what Jon said. Joffrey was confused as he didn''t know much about the management of the whole Kingdom "Then let them be buried under forever since they want to go to early grave so fast." Arya said. Jon nodded and without looking at Cersei and Joffrey, he went back through the portal but the portal remained opened. Arya smiled at Joffrey evilly, as he tried his best to get away and had fear in his face while blood flowed out like river. Without anymore words she took a swing and cut his head completely. This threw Cersei into hysterics and lunged at Arya only to be kicked on her abdomen by Arya. She fell back but she crawled towards her son, who still had his eyes wide open, as if he refused to believe. Arya looked at the golem and said. "Take care of the evidence." With those last words Arya stepped inside the portal and it closed itself. Cersei just clutched into the head of Joffrey while crying horribly. 235. Quite the folklore The golem came forward and bent down. Cersei was crying but golem which was made of bricks, hollow eyes, rounded face with a squared mouth. The golem stood 2 meters tall with exaggerated features for a humanoid. It bent down and with its fat three finger snatched away the head and the body of Joffrey. Cersei was battling the golem. Though she was very scared of this beast that emerged out of nowhere but she was somehow ready to give her own life at the moment. Of course she was unsuccessful. The golem then proceeded the most horrible thing in front of the mother. It gulped down the whole body of Joffrey after widening his mouth. She looked all of this with nothing but horror. ---- Arya was back in Bronzegate with Jon. It was late at night so one could easily see the stars high up in the sky. As Jon and Arya went through the corridors and reached the main hall, they saw Fugaku and many high officials of Uchihas sitting and discussing. "My Lord, they have some catapults and things that could launch in the far distance and it could destroy our home." "We don''t have huge shurikens to destroy them. We will have to buy and don''t have enough time to make them." Fugaku was listening when he noticed Jon and Arya coming in. "Jon, Arya.. I hope you will accompany us in this battle." "I have been waiting for this moment my entire life." Arya spoke with gusto. "Not sure of my brother though." "The winter will be coming soon and we will need men. I didn''t want this to happen, but we will have to take care of the Lannisters and unite the Kingdom." Jon said. Fugaku smiled because it meant that Jon was on their side and would help. He had learnt a lot over time and understood that Jon was special and even his magic was. Though he didn''t know in what way he was special, but his sharingan showed that was some difference but he didn''t know what. The rest of the time they discussed about how they would face the Lannisters who would be knocking on their doors. One shinobi was already sent before to find more about the Lannisters and he had returned with the information that Tywin himself was coming and charging at them. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Apparently after taking care of the Uchihas, he would march towards Kings Landing and take over as the Hand of the King himself. At least that was his plan.
It was early morning when a messenger came and knocked on the gates of the castle of Bronzegate. The Uchihas led them in. the messenger bearing Tywin Lannister''s offer approached the gates of the Uchiha estate, Fugaku Uchiha stood with a stoic demeanor, flanked by his trusted advisors. Arya and Jon were hidden so the messenger didn''t get to see them. It had to be mentioned that the Lannisters were now around 1 km away from the Bronzegate and thus the messenger was quite brave to come in. Fugaku regarded the messenger with a piercing gaze, his eyes betraying none of the emotions swirling within. "State your purpose here, messenger of House Lannister. What brings you to our doorstep? And also I would advise your Lord to take away the Lannisters from our land. We don''t want any blood to be spilled here." The messenger, a slight tremor betraying his nerves, cleared his throat before speaking. "I come on behalf of Lord Tywin Lannister, offering terms of surrender and reconciliation. House Lannister seeks to avoid any bloodshed and offers amnesty and protection to the Uchiha clan in exchange for your allegiance." Fugaku listened to the messenger''s words with a measured silence. When the messenger finished speaking, he spoke with a voice as steady as steel. "Tell Lord Tywin Lannister that the Uchihas do not yield to threats or demands. We will not forsake our honor or betray the trust of our newfound home. We stand firm in our resolve to defend Bronzegate and will gladly meet any challenge he dares to bring upon us. And you will are delusional to think that he would be able to win it here." "Lord Tywin Lannister is not one to be trifled with. Should you refuse his offer, you will face the full might of the Lannister army. Your men are just a few hundreds while we have arrived in thousands. Your flimsy castle and few men wouldn''t stand a chance against the might Lord Tywin." "So be it. War is a game we Uchihas are well accustomed to playing. Tell Lord Tywin that if he wishes to bring his army to our doorstep, we will be more than happy to greet him in our playground." With a dismissive wave of his hand, Fugaku signaled for the messenger to depart, his message delivered with unwavering resolve. As the gates of the Uchiha estate closed behind the departing envoy, the stage was set for a conflict that would echo through the annals of history. This battle in the future would be known as the one that changed the whole direction of Seven Kingdoms and the exploit would become a lore that would be told in roadside taverns. After the messenger left, Jon and Arya came out of the shadows. "They have the same attitude they always had. I hope they can maintain it after what they are going to face." "Hahahah.. Arya.. You are looking forward for their downfall more than me." Fugaku said. "I have been waiting for this moment for such a long time." Arya said. Fugaku smiled. Though he wasn''t sure what was the relation between these two and the Stark but he felt like there must definitely have some story behind them. "We should go and welcome them." One of the advisors said. Fugaku nodded to it and said. "Move out according to the strategy and show them the rage of the Uchihas." The advisors soon vanished as they would be leading the men too and take them into the battlefield. 236. They can toy with the whole realm As the sun cast its golden rays over the battlefield near Bronzegate, the air crackled with tension as the forces of House Lannister assembled for battle. Ser Tywin Lannister, the mastermind behind the assault, surveyed the open ground with confidence, his soldiers arrayed in disciplined ranks behind him. Little did they know, however, that they were about to face an opponent unlike any they had encountered before. As the Lannister forces surged forward, their numbers overwhelming compared to the Uchihas, the Uchihas didn''t seem to be affected at all as they saw them from far. Some from the open field, while others from the branches of trees. None of them were wearing the Konoha band but, an Uchiha band on their forehead. "Men of Lannister! Today, we face some savages from the North, but we shall not falter! Together, we shall crush these Northern upstarts and reclaim what is rightfully ours! We are better than them. We are more intelligent than them. We will crush them!" With a thunderous roar, the Lannister army surged forward, their ranks bristling with spears and swords. But the Uchihas were ready, their ninjas hidden amongst the trees, poised to strike with deadly precision. As the two forces clashed, the air filled with the clash of steel and the cries of the wounded. Amidst the chaos of battle, individual skirmishes broke out across the field, each one a desperate struggle for survival. Despite being outnumbered twenty to one, the Uchihas fought with a skill and ferocity that belied their smaller numbers. With their mastery of ninjutsu and genjutsu, the Uchihas struck swiftly and decisively, picking off Lannister soldiers with deadly accuracy. From the cover of the trees, their ninjas launched volleys of shuriken and kunai, while others unleashed torrents of fire and lightning that cut through the enemy ranks like a scythe through wheat. The catapults threw their fiery stones at them only to be stopped by huge golems and multiple flying swords. This made Tywin, who was on the back looking at the battlefield, almost falter. he didn''t expect this. What was this beast that came from Earth itself? And huge flying swords? What? What is this new throwing weapon and small knives for close battle? What the hell was going on? While Tywin was seeing this, the Commanders were trying their best in the battlefield. "Steady, men! Hold the line!" a Lannister commander shouted, his voice tinged with desperation as he tried to rally his troops against the relentless onslaught. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. But his words fell on deaf ears as the Uchihas pressed their advantage, their blades flashing with lethal precision as they cut down their foes with ruthless efficiency. With each fallen soldier, the Lannister ranks grew more disorganized, their morale crumbling under the relentless assault of their adversaries. "By the Seven, they fight like demons!" one Lannister soldier cried out, his voice trembling with fear as he watched his comrades fall around him. "Stay strong, brothers! We cannot falter now!" another shouted, his sword held high as he desperately tried to hold back the tide of Uchiha warriors bearing down upon them. Amidst the chaos of battle, Fugaku Uchiha stood at the forefront of his warriors, his eyes blazing with the fire of determination as he led his clan to victory. With each swing of his blade, he cut through the Lannister ranks with deadly precision, his leadership inspiring those around him to fight with renewed vigor. If simple physical attacks wasn''t enough, then the cherry on top came when the Uchihas started using ninjutsus. From the cover of the trees, Uchiha ninjas emerged, their hands weaving intricate seals as they channeled their chakra into devastating attacks. With a swift motion, one ninja conjured a ball of fire that hurtled towards the Lannister ranks, engulfing them in flames and scattering their formations with its searing heat. "Take cover!" a Lannister soldier shouted, his voice drowned out by the roar of the inferno as it consumed everything in its path. He was confused of where the fire attack came from. Meanwhile, another group of Uchiha ninjas worked in tandem, their movements fluid and synchronized as they unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts that crackled through the air with deadly precision. Each bolt found its mark, striking down Lannister soldiers with electrifying force and leaving them convulsing on the ground. "Gods above, what are these attacks. They are picking us out as stragglers." a Lannister commander exclaimed, his voice tinged with disbelief as he watched his troops fall beneath the onslaught. But perhaps the most terrifying of all were the genjutsu wielded by the Uchihas, illusions so potent that they could warp reality itself. With a single glance, an Uchiha ninja cast a genjutsu upon a group of Lannister soldiers, twisting their perceptions until they turned on each other in a frenzy of madness and confusion. "Fight! Kill them all!" the affected soldiers screamed, their blades turning against their own comrades in a macabre display of self-destruction. Tywin looked all of this and was very much shaken. He had heard how Thornes and his own men vanished that night. He didn''t think much of it since assassinating Northerners weren''t easy or else, they wouldn''t have been there for such along time. But he wasn''t expecting this. This was magic. Fire, Lightning and even mad men roamed on the battlefield and he could only helplessly see his own men being flayed, killed, stabbed, beheaded, burnt, electrocuted... Basically thousands of his finest men were being toyed with. He had never seen such a situation before. He even ordered for a retreat but this was impossible as the Uchihas somehow sneaked into their camps too and set them on fire. For the first time in his life he felt like he was seeing a devastation like no other. The Targeryans? These Northerners would toy with a dragon too, with what he was witnessing. "They said that they came from the North? Did they come from beyond the Wall?" Tywin thought as those were last batch of rational thoughts. 237. Be the new Lord Tywin was on his horse when he felt a sudden jab at his abdomen. It was fast, and his old weary eyes weren''t even able to see what hit him as he was thrown off his horse like a rag doll. He landed hard on the ground with a thud, fortunate enough not to have broken ribs or bones in the process. He almost coughed out blood and screamed in pain, but then he felt the cold steel at his Adam''s apple. Appalled, he saw a man bending towards him, placing a pointed knife at his throat. He knew he was done for and didn''t bother to mention that he was the Lord of the Lannisters. He had played this game long enough to understand that this was the end of the line; he would be dead if he made any move. He needed to keep his life intact to navigate the impending threat to his family. The man pulled him while holding his breastplate from the side and dragged him towards the Bronzegate castle. Tywin wanted to protest that he could move on his own, but the way the man ran after hoisting him over his shoulder made him shut his mouth. "What the fuck are these people?" Tywin thought. From the corner of his eye, he saw his proud army shatter and lay down on the battlefield. The grass''s color had turned red from the flowing blood, and one could easily smell it in the air. He even felt as if the world had turned red, and he was powerless to do anything about it. Soon he was placed in front of Fugaku, who looked at him with sharp eyes. Although Fugaku didn''t use his Sharingan abilities on him, the tomoe markings were on his eyes, enough for Tywin to cower. He was already traumatized seeing how his army was being massacred, and he even saw a 10-year-old kid bringing down three soldiers like playthings. But those eyes gave him a scare as he was sure that these people weren''t even humans. No human could have those eyes. This was supernatural, and they didn''t have a solution to that. "Take him away," Fugaku said, his eyes devoid of emotion, and Tywin was taken to the dungeon under the castle to be held captive. The war, which was supposed to be prolonged, didn''t last long; it was over. The Uchihas and the Lannisters weren''t the only ones involved in this small skirmish. All the other lords had sent spies to follow the Lannisters, and when they saw how swiftly and easily the mighty Lannisters fell, they fled with their tails between their legs to their respective lords. This was way above their paygrade. The Uchihas knew of these spies but didn''t stop them. They could have brought chaos, but that wasn''t their intention. They were only here temporarily, so bringing the realm under control was not necessary. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
Two days had gone by since the battle near Bronzegate and none of the Lords came forward. When they heard what the spies had told them they refused to believe and thus most of them sent more people to figure out what had happened. They didn''t get close to Bronzegate but they could see the red ground around and the absence of the Lannisters while the flag of the Uchihas was flowing quite steadily. This was all they needed to know and thus returned. After two days, there was a sudden small band of men on horses coming towards Bronzegate. The gates opened and the few men barged in. These men were the Lannisters but they came from King''s Landing and they were escorting Tyrion. Tyrion didn''t have a good face when he landed in Bronzegate. He had heard about what had gone down and he knew that he would have to take his steps wisely here or his House would go down into ashes like many others. Tyrion was led inside and was taken to a hall. The hall was based on Japanese and he and his ''fooking'' guard were allowed in and told to sit as Fugaku would soon come. "They are disrespecting you." Bronn said as he looked around. "When one has all cards in their hands, they can play as they like it." Tyrion said. He was anxious and also a bit elated of what was happening to his father. He dreamt of his father being punished all his life as he suffered a lot because of him but he also knew that his father was the safety net here. Someone came and provided him tea which he was surprised as he was thinking they had served him wine or alcohol. Fugaku didn''t make him wait for much time and entered the hall, but he wasn''t alone. Aoto and whole gang of Konoha was here along with Arya and Jon. Tyrion didn''t know them but once he saw Arya and Jon he couldn''t take his eyes off from them. They looked much older than the last time he met them but he couldn''t understand the reason. "Welcome, Tyrion Lannister to Bronzegate." Fugaku said. "Well you opened the gates for me. Better than I expected." Tyrion said with sarcasm in his voice. This made Fugaku laugh. "Hahahaha.. Jon told me that your witty and sarcastic. He was right." Fugaku said. Seeing the smiling face of Fugaku and was confused of how good mannered he was. Did this guy come for negotiating? Or just meeting with old friends. He looked at everyone and none of them seem to be someone who were serious. "I am sorry for my words. But I would like to know how is my father?" Tyrion asked asking forgiveness. "He is in the dungeons. He is just traumatized a bit." Fugaku said. "What do the Lannisters need to do to free him." Tyrion asked as he wanted to know what they wanted. "You can take him away. He doesn''t bother us and in fact all of the realms armies doesn''t bother us. We have decimated them and we can do the same for others. That''s not confidence speaking but the truth. But we also don''t want annoyance under our nose. So you can take him away to Casterly Rock and be under house arrest while you will be the new Lord of the Lannisters." 238. Winter is coming Tyrion couldn''t believe what he was hearing. House arrest for his father? And him being the new Lord? Wasn''t that what he always wanted all his life? What the hell was going on? He then looked at Jon, who smiled at him, and for some reason, his instincts told him that this Jon was the one behind this. After a minute of thinking, Tyrion accepted the offer, and thus Fugaku led him to the dungeon. Fugaku wasn''t kidding when he had said that his father looked traumatized. Every person that approached him made him flinch and scuttle away. Tywin didn''t even recognize his own son, and Tyrion had to calm him down after consoling him and approaching him slowly. He was finally able to take him out of the dungeon and bring him to his horse. Fugaku gave Tyrion and Jon space since he could see Tyrion had questions. "I don''t think I have ever met you," Tyrion said, trying to be as casual as possible. He had multiple questions, and he could tell that this Jon wasn''t the same Jon that left for the Night''s Watch. But he wasn''t sure what was going on. "We did meet. In fact, we met multiple times," Jon smiled and replied. Tyrion didn''t seem to understand and just looked at him with an open mouth. "Are you Jon''s long-lost cousin who lived in the North?" Tyrion jokingly asked, to which Jon replied, "No. I am the same bastard you met in Winterfell and gave advice that I still remember. But I have grown a lot due to some reasons." "What? You found some magic that makes you old?" Tyrion jokingly asked. To which Jon just smiled and said, "You remember the motto of House Stark?" "Something along the lines of ''something is coming,''" Tyrion said. "You didn''t answer my question." "Winter is coming," Jon repeated his words which he had always said once. "Someday you will know the answer but not now." "That," Tyrion nodded and understood that he was in a power position to ask about what was going on. "Go home, Lannister. Ready your men, because winter is coming," Jon said, and this time he wasn''t smiling but looking deep into the eyes of Tyrion, which almost gave him the creeps. Tyrion wanted to ask more, but seeing how his father was behaving, it was better to just leave. He was both happy and sad with what had happened. Happy because he had achieved what he had always wanted in life and sad because the Lannisters had ''paid the debts'' they owed. This was at the end of the line, and if he didn''t sail the ship properly, their whole House would be doomed. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
In the next few days, a new story and notice spread wildly in the Seven Kingdoms. Tywin had voluntarily given his lordship away to Tyrion, and the sons of Robert wouldn''t inherit the throne of the Kingdom. This made Stannis and Renly dumbstruck as they were expecting some kind of assault from King''s Landing and the Lannisters, but nothing came. Instead, it was up to two brothers of Robert to kill for the throne. These two even expected the Northerners to rebel and take over as they had heard how one small Northern family just decimated Lannisters, but apparently, Ned had left the capital, and he would go back to Winterfell. Suffice to say, a huge political and bloody battle would ensue, and one could already predict it from afar. Everyone was holding their cards very carefully, and one wrong move might really bring their kingdom to ruins now that no King was sitting on the Iron Throne. While this was going on, Ned had left for the Greyjoys. He had remembered the words of Arya and had to make sure that these people would be put to rest, including that notorious brother. He had also given freedom back to Theon and told him that he could move to his old home and that the Greyjoys were pardoned. This came as a surprise to Theon. He felt happy and sad simultaneously. Freedom had come to him, but was he truly happy? He had bonded excellently with the sons of the Starks, and leaving them felt like a betrayal. It was a dilemma for him, and he ultimately decided to go back and talk to his father. After Theon left, Arya came one night to the castle of the Greyjoys and massacred the whole family, leaving only Theon alive. Ned arrived the next day only to see chaos, and thus he ordered that the Greyjoys would vanish forever and be under the rule of Winterfell from then on. This happened within a span of two weeks. The Greyjoys were wiped away, and Winterfell forcefully took over. They couldn''t hold a candle to the Northerners, who were again boosted by the Uchihas. The shambled army didn''t stand a chance. And after the Greyjoys came the Boltons. Arya and Jon chose the easy way this time instead of forcefully occupying their House. They simply massacred the family and let their bodies be fed to the dogs. The Boltons were headless, and soon it fell into a small civil war, with some of the other Houses nearby taking over their land and castle. Winterfell simply watched the burns from afar and didn''t move an inch. The Boltons deserved what was coming to them, and thus it was fine. Winterfell had also sent some guards to the Night''s Watch to safeguard Jon (young). The story had changed a lot, and thus some Uchihas who were skilled in fire jutsus were sent to ensure that they were alive and well. Basically, the story had changed a lot by then, but one thing was certain from the beginning of this drama: the Northerners and the Lannisters had given up their ''rights'' to the throne. But little did they know that Ned was getting ready to meet the Targeryan, his distant relative to see if the dragon girl was good enough for the Throne. He was accompanied by the lone Hyuga, as he was now done with his exploration of the Seven Kingdoms and wanted to experience a new place. 239. Calm your tits down Today was an important day in the Ninja Academy for many young boys. The last few months had been hectic, to say the least, for Naruto. He had been stressed because he had been failing in his theory classes. Or at least that''s what Aoto saw when he used to conduct home exams for Naruto. Though Naruto almost always excelled in his magical theories, somehow politics, geography, and ninja theory would give Naruto the greatest headache. Kisuke and Aoto almost had migraines teaching this guy how to pass the theory test. But thankfully, Naruto didn''t disappoint him too much, and the theory exam was passed with a 60% on his final score, which was more than what Aoto had expected. Of course, in time Sasuke passed the theory with 95%. He really was a reincarnation of Indra. So much talent but so easily manipulated. Sigh. "Corazon, why can''t I pass the exams using magic? I can pass them so easily, dattebayo," Naruto said the day before the practical exams. "You can''t. Others don''t have the same advantage as you. You need to be able to excel in both in order to stand at the top," Corazon said. "But.." Naruto protested again, but seeing the glaring eyes of Aoto across the table made him shut up. "Naruto-kun... Don''t worry... You will pass the exams with flying colors." Hinata had joined them at lunch and spoke to encourage Naruto. Over the last years, she had grown up and excelled a lot in both magic and ninjutsu. Though she wasn''t as good as her brother Neji, she was still there, and with her magic, she could definitely go toe to toe against Neji. "Yes... Hinata... I believe in myself. I will definitely ace the exam," Naruto said as he clenched his fists. The rest of the lunch Aoto and others talked about other matters and also cheered both of the new students about to be graduated. After lunch, Aoto called Naruto over and took him to the library. "Ni-san, why are we here? I thought you would want me to practice ninjutsu at night," Naruto asked, confused because they were in the library. "I need to have a talk with someone," Aoto replied. "Someone? Who?" Naruto was sure that nobody new had joined their library so he didn''t know whom he was going to meet. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "You will know," Aoto replied and placed his index finger on his forehead and from the other hand touched his stomach. Naruto was in a trance when Aoto suddenly made that move, and in no time, he felt his eyes heavy. When Naruto opened his eyes again, he found himself in a place where he always dreaded to be: the small rectangular tunnel which was a bit flooded. The tunnel was long and dark. He had been here quite multiple times, and every time he would dread coming here. "This?!" Naruto''s voice choked when he saw himself in this terrible place again. "Hello, Naruto," came a voice from behind, and Naruto spun around to see Aoto standing there. "Brother... You are here? How are you here?" Naruto was surprised that Aoto could even enter this place as he thought nobody could enter. "You have read about soul magic. You know very well," Aoto replied. "Soul magic? This is inside of me?" Naruto shuddered when Aoto said that. "Naruto, you have always known what is inside you. It is time we had a talk," Aoto said. Naruto looked at Aoto with teary eyes for a bit. He wanted to refuse going forward, but he knew that his brother might have his reasons for doing so. Aoto extended his hand, and Naruto, after a bit of hesitation and fear, finally held his hand and started walking towards the dark winding corridor. Each step of theirs was echoed by the sound of water rippling through, and after a bit of walking, they finally found themselves in an open space. At the end of the huge space, there were long red thick pillars stacked side by side, which extended to both ends. One could easily tell that this was some kind of prison. Naruto shuddered as he felt the rage and hatred coming from the prison. He was so scared that Naruto fell on his knees, and Aoto had to hold his hand tight so that he wouldn''t pass out due to the sheer hatred and anger he was feeling. Even for Aoto, who had lived an extra life for now, didn''t feel comfortable at all. "Calm your tits down, Kurama," Aoto couldn''t help but shout. The name calling was enough for all the hatred and anger to vanish in a second. Naruto, who was struggling, was heaving up and down. He felt relieved for a bit. Naruto looked up only to see a huge red furry monster showing up on the other side of the prison. The fur was quite thick, and one could easily discern that it was a fox but much larger in size. The sheer eyes of his made Naruto tremble. He had always known that there was a monster inside, which was a fox, and for the first time, he was seeing it. Naruto didn''t know what he should feel for this monster. It was for him that he had been struggling in his life in the village and why he was often bullied. Though the bullies stopped once he learned how to stand up for himself, he felt some hatred towards this monster. "Kid... You have some nerves coming here and shouting my name..." The monster spoke. "This monster... This monster... Speaks?" Naruto was shivering. The term monster enraged Kurama, and they were again shrouded by anger, hatred, and bloodlust. "Oye... He is just a child. Calm down. He isn''t going to hurt you anyway," Aoto couldn''t help but shout. "You are just a low-level human who can only use others for your own benefits. What kid? What adult? They are all the same," Kurama spoke in hushed anger in his voice while maintaining his bloodlust. 240. Dormammu, I have come to bargain "Not everybody is the same," Aoto rebutted as he held onto Naruto, who was slowly recovering himself. Being a ninja, he was able to cope with it faster than anticipated. Kurama, in response, didn''t reply but just looked at Aoto with hatred filled in his eyes. "Look, I''m not here to argue about who is wrong or right, or if I''m some kind of saint forcing you to believe me. Only time and actions will give the answer. I just want you to stop blocking his chakra flow," Aoto said. In response, bubbles started to form outside the prison. Aoto and Naruto had to move back, and soon the bubbles took the shape of Kurama. He appeared the same way when Sasuke and Naruto met each other in Shippuden, and Sasuke came to blast off Kurama while inside using his Sharingan. "Kid... Who are you?" Kurama asked, looking at Aoto, who was standing up without fear in his eyes. "Does it matter?" Aoto asked back. "You have some guts to show up here with this little pipsqueak and demand things from me when you humans are responsible for whatever is happening," Kurama said. "Don''t generalize people. Not everybody is the same," Aoto said. "Everybody? You humans are filled with greed, and you too are the same, coming and asking for something from me," Kurama replied. "Let''s stop pretending. You wouldn''t be talking if you didn''t want something from me," Aoto said. "Really? What do I want then?" Kurama asked. "The knowledge of the library, which you have seen Naruto accessing, and the others," Aoto replied with a smirk on his face. This made the smiling demon lose all colors. "You are more intelligent than you look," Kurama said. "No, I just can see the whole picture while you can''t. You can have access to the library, and I will allow the library to grant you permission to read books. If you want to read any books, ask Naruto, and he will allow you to read through his eyes. In return, you won''t block his chakra or consume it, ensuring that you take only the minimum required for your sealing," Aoto said. This left Kurama speechless, as he didn''t expect this guy to be so direct. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Kurama had always been curious about the knowledge of the library, but no matter what he did, he was never able to read the books, which came as a surprise to him. He was frustrated because he got a glimpse of what the new knowledge was capable of, but he himself wasn''t able to access it. He was talking with Aoto because he knew that this guy was the manager and the owner of the library. And he wanted Aoto to negotiate, which he did without any nonsense. He was surprised by this but was glad that he didn''t have to talk more. "Kid... I like your boldness," Kurama said. Aoto smirked and didn''t want to antagonize this monster anymore. "But I don''t have full control over the chakra. The seal is.." Kurama continued but was stopped by Aoto. "I will let someone undo the severity of the seal so that you and his chakra doesn''t mix up." Aoto said. "Hmph.. So you do know about the seal." Kurama said. "And in times of need when Naruto will need you chakra, you can''t use it to control him." Aoto said and this time he had made hand signs in order to make sure that he didn''t go back on his words. It was the same way Doctor Strange had negotiated with Dormammu and the reason why the realm lord couldn''t go back on his words. Kurama seeing his hands move knew that if he didn''t accept it, he wouldn''t get access to the library either. But he was a prisoner at the end and didn''t have much to say or negotiate. And he was glad that finally he was able to read those books. Controlling Naruto through his hatred was his pass time, and it wouldn''t lead to anything as he didn''t have the key to open the seal eye. It will only lead to death of humans and some chaos, which he reveled doing. But it wasn''t his favorite pass time or anything. Getting to know new things would give him more pleasure and wanted to see what was special about this library. And there was another reason why Kurama didn''t try hard to make the deal bad. This person knew his name somehow and his eyes didn''t have hatred or fear. He could understand the fear as he was more intimidating, but Aoto''s eyes were filled with a bit of pity for him. But never hatred. This stumped Kurama a bit and also the reason he accepted the offer. Naruto sighed in relief when Aoto made the deal. "Thank .. Thank you brother." Naruto hesitatingly said. "You are welcome. But Naruto, I will not be there with you always so whenever you feel lonely you can come here and talk." Aoto said. This made both Kurama and Naruto eyes wide with shock. "Kid.. What the hell are you talking about?" "Brother will that not be a good idea." Aoto just smiled and proceeded to take Naruto away from this place and was back in real world. Naruto wanted to ask about the last words of Aoto but he stopped himself because he knew that Aoto wanted him to find the answer himself. Aoto after coming out gave orders to the library that it could allow Kurama to read the books and treat Kurama as another entity. Naruto wanted to get out of library but orders came from Kurama to go and read some books. Naruto wanted to say no but then remembered the words of Aoto and thus followed his instructions. 241. Lets discuss the plan "Congratulations, Class." Iruka Umino, the teacher of Class spoke out loud in the class, his voice carrying warmth and sincerity. "Today marks a significant milestone in your journey, a journey filled with challenges, growth, and bonds that will last a lifetime." He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing, "As you step into the world beyond these walls, remember the lessons you''ve learned here, both in the classroom and on the battlefield. Embrace the values of friendship, perseverance, and integrity. Because that is what makes you a better shinobi. I hope each of you excel well. Soon you will be trained by your respective teachers who will guide three of you. This time the class has graduated with an odd number of students so, Neji, Lee, Torune and Tenten will form a single team. Your teachers have already been assigned." Torune and Naruto were a bit sad that they weren''t together anymore but nonetheless still satisfied. Naruto eventually landed with Kakashi as per the original plan, along with Sakura and Sasuke. Naruto was just happy to have graduated, and Aoto had even spoken with Iruka before the graduation. Iruka had lost a lot that night, and initially, he harbored hatred towards Naruto. However, he witnessed how Aoto, who had also lost his parents, was able to let go of his hatred and adopt Naruto. Additionally, being a manga fan, Iruka understood how characters could let go of hatred and become better people. Of course, he had read "Attack on Titan" and seen the consequences of vengeance. Although he sympathized with Eren, he didn''t want a life that would make him pay the same cost. "Iruka, you were a wonderful teacher. Thank you," Aoto said. "No, it''s you who taught me a lot over the years. You are my hero," Iruka replied. "Hero? Hahaha. I am just a businessman," Aoto chuckled. Few people knew the extent of Aoto''s power and influence, especially someone like Iruka, who was just a Chunin. "You taught me how to rise above hate. For a while, I hated Naruto, but I realized it was never his fault. I was just holding onto hate and directing it at Naruto. Thank you for showing me how foolish I was," Iruka said sincerely. "There are still many people who hate Naruto." Aoto reiterated as Naruto would still get nasty looks. "Hahaha. Aoto-kun, Naruto always speaks about being a Hokage and I am sure one day he would be one and change the people''s perspective of him." Iruka said. Aoto just smiled at it. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
After the first orientation, Naruto was back and he didn''t look happy at all. "What is it?" Aoto asked as he could see the disappointment. "Kakasi-sensei isn''t good at all." Naruto said. "Why do you say that?" Aoto asked. "It''s because he didn''t look interested in us at all. Plus that Sasuke, he is so full of himself." Naruto replied. "Kakashi-san will be interested in you if you three show him your determination and team work. You already hate Sasuke. Do you think you alone will be able to take down enemies just because you know some magic and he doesn''t? Remember this Naruto, you are in a team and not an one man mission. One day if you are powerful enough you can go for solo missions but until then you will have to one of the average ones." Aoto gave Naruto quite a piece of his mind because he could see that Naruto knowing magic did have an impact. Maybe it was soon time for Sasuke to learn magic, after all he had a master level talent like Naruto had. It would be a waste if Sasuke was left alone. Naruto could see what Aoto was hinting at and it did make him realize that at the end of the day he still couldn''t defeat Arya, forget about Corazon. And the simple thought of fighting against Loki gave him the chills. He was sure that nobody in Konoha would be ever be able to touch Loki, forget about defeating him. He had once over heard of how Loki had control over time and that was enough to give him the fear of his life. Naruto vowed to be a better student and not always go against Sasuke. Little did he know that even of Aoto didn''t say those words, he would have still been the good guy. The next day Naruto went to meet Kakashi and in typical Kakashi style he was late. As he was helping some random strangers along the way. As expected he showed up with the bell and was given the job of touching them. Unlike being the usual and casual Kakashi, he actually was serious about it and there was only one reason. Naruto Uzumaki. The graduation ceremony was different and here Naruto was allowed to use his techniques. It was same for Shino and others as they had a range of techniques passed down from the family but at the graduation one needed to follow a certain standard. It was just different for Naruto. Kakashi eyed his young students with his trademark nonchalance, holding the bells tied to his waist with a casual air. "Alright, let''s see what you''ve got," he said, a glint of amusement in his eye. As soon as the signal was given, Sasuke and Sakura sprang into action, employing their respective skills with precision and determination. Sasuke unleashed a barrage of shuriken, while Sakura launched into a series of kunai maneuvers, aiming to catch Kakashi off guard. Naruto meanwhile use a diversion tactics. He summoned magical energy and threw a huge ball of light at Kakashi which none of the other three expected. This threw a wrench at Sasuke and Sakura''s tactics. Kakashi immediately knew what was going on and opened his sharingan to look past the tactics of Naruto and even with the bright light his sharingan worked fine. Naruto approached as he had called some shades one his eyes and attacked Kakashi from behind only for Kakashi to dodge easily. 242. You did well, my young padawan Naruto failed to touch the bells, and Kakashi merely allowed him to lose his footing before tripping. He was still young, and though Aoto and others had taught him a lot, he was still not at a high level. "Naruto, you asshole... Did you just make a plan without telling us what you wanted to do?" "Were you born with a bump on your head or something?" Sasuke and Sakura instantly flared up and shouted at Naruto for blindsiding them and going solo. Naruto couldn''t help but smile embarrassedly, guilty of what he had just done. He had never paired up with anyone, so his mind didn''t think of making a plan with others. He just assumed his teammates would magically know his plans, which was dumb. Meanwhile, Kakashi took off his mask and lowered it again to hide his Sharingan. "Aye... I didn''t expect Naruto to use such dirty tricks. It would require more than just some light attack," Kakashi said. "Kakashi-sensei, just watch. We will take the bells from you no matter what," Naruto said. Unlike the original story, the three of them didn''t go after Kakashi separately. After the first mishap, Naruto actually took the initiative and asked the two of them to join forces. Naruto even suggested that Sasuke could plan, and he would follow them. This surprised everyone, even Kakashi, who was eavesdropping on them from afar. It was known how Naruto and Sasuke hated each other, or could be termed as some form of rivalry. But for the first time, he had actually asked Sasuke to lead. Though Sasuke was taken aback, he gladly accepted the role and outlined a plan for them to work together. He even asked for the strengths and weaknesses of each of them. "Naruto, use your golden rings..." "Those are called Tao mandalas." "Whatever they''re called, send them flying towards sensei, and I will distract him with a fire release. Meanwhile, Sakura, you will be the one to touch and take the bells. Is that clear?" Sasuke said. Everyone understood that it was the best plan at the moment, and there wasn''t enough vegetation around. Naruto brought out some shurikens and imbued Tao mandalas onto them. Now the shurikens had Tao mandalas around them, and he threw them at Kakashi. Kakashi had seen them before, so he knew that their sharpness was not to be underestimated. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. He had to dodge a bit, and Naruto wasn''t very skilled at shuriken jutsu. Though his aim was way off, it did cause Kakashi to pay heed since Naruto had thrown them at insane angles, giving Kakashi a small headache. But that wasn''t all. What followed was a huge ball of fire that appeared just after Kakashi dodged another shuriken-mandala. Kakashi''s lazy eyes widened when he saw that and had to bring forth an earth wall to stop the attack, putting his hands on the ground. This was enough for Sakura to make a run for it and touch the bells. Sakura was successful in snatching the bells, but as she pulled them, Kakashi''s body vanished and was replaced by a log of wood. "Substitution jutsu?" Sakura watched, her eyes filled with surprise and horror, realizing that she had just failed her mission. Naruto and Sasuke came around the wall, and seeing the log of wood, it was enough to understand what had transpired. "You have done well to come together against me. You three pass the test." "Huh?" "Eh!" "But... But we weren''t able to touch the bells," Naruto said. "It was never about touching or taking away the bells. It was about teamwork, which you three have displayed by coming together. Besides, do you really think you can take away the bells from me?" Kakashi said, embarrassing each of them, but they did see the gap between him and the three. "So, did we pass the test?" Sakura asked. Kakashi nodded. But it also dawned on them that they had passed the test and were ready to take on missions, which brought them immense joy. Each of them had now officially taken steps toward their goal, and they were cheerful about it. "Why don''t you guys come to my place for a celebration? My brother said that if we pass the test, we can come for a celebratory feast," Naruto said. "I am going home," Sasuke replied. Sakura wanted to say something, but upon hearing Sasuke, she hesitated. "He made onigiri," Naruto whispered in his ears. Onigiri was Sasuke''s favorite, and that was enough to perk up his ears and make his mouth water. "I will not be there for more than an hour. I have practice later," Sasuke said. "Sure, sure. Kakashi-sensei... Why don''t you join us too?" Naruto said. Kakashi, who had been reading a manga while lying down on a tree branch, closed it and looked down. After a brief thought, he jumped down and accepted the invitation. Naruto was beyond happy. Normally, Shikamaru, Choji, Hinata, and sometimes Ino would come to his place, and Edward once called him out for having only these friends, vowing to bring in more friends. But he had failed, and now he could finally say that he had friends. They soon arrived at Aoto''s home, which had remained the same since he opened his first shop. The shop had expanded over time, with many shops on the side belonging to Aoto. Their company had grown over the past years, involving blacksmithing, entertainment, food, and technology. They had started inserting their hands into all walks of life, and Aoto could be said to be the most influential person in the whole village while being a non-ninja. He showed that being a ninja didn''t mean their life would turn to mediocrity but could have the same influence as an S-ranked shinobi. He was living proof. Only the higher-ups knew that Aoto was more dangerous than an S-ranked shinobi, practically a walking monster. 243. So a new section has opened "I am home," Naruto shouted as soon as he entered through the door, followed by Kakashi and the rest. It was the first time for Sakura, but the rest had been here before. Sasuke had come here with his brother and even once with his father. He remembered that Aoto was very welcoming to them, but after the massacre, he stopped coming here. Aoto was close to Itachi, and maybe he had an inherent distaste for Aoto since he was a friend of his brother. But he had also forgotten how Aoto was a great friend of his father too and how he used to take care of his sister. He hated his brother more for killing Lyanna. He loved his sister very much and was very protective of her. And now she was gone, and Sasuke could never get over it. He was more determined to find his brother and kill him with his own hands. Now that he was here again, he felt a bit embarrassed. It wasn''t right for him to hold a silly grudge against Aoto since he himself trusted his brother, including his own parents. How could an outsider know what was actually going on? "Ah, Naruto... You passed the test... Come in. Oh, you brought Kakashi-san too," Aoto said as he came out wearing a kitchen apron. Sasuke, after seeing eye to eye with Aoto, hung his head, while Sakura bowed down and introduced herself. "Yo," Kakashi said. "Welcome. Good that you are here. I have made hot pots. Don''t worry, Sasuke, I made many onigiri for you too," Aoto said. This made Sasuke all red in shame and could only nod his head. They all ushered in and were also joined by the rest like Corazon, Torune who had also passed the test, Shuikuro, and even Jon and Arya. Jon and Arya had been helping the Uchihas a bit and also their parents, but they would still come for the food. Sasuke was a bit overwhelmed when he met so many people of the ''family'' of Aoto, so he had put up a good face, and Sakura was surprised that someone like Naruto, whom she had heard rumors about, would have such a big family. She felt a bit ashamed of her thoughts before and made her realize that it was her family and the thoughts that were backward. She was glad that she didn''t speak her mind before and lashed out at Naruto in a very wrong way. Everyone was cheerful. Yorichi came and even sat on the lap of Sasuke, which he had missed a lot. He even whispered sorry to Yorichi because they used to hang out a lot but had cut short since the fall of the Uchiha. Sasuke loved the onigiri, and Sakura loved all the sweet things served to her, and of course, no one could ignore the hot pot. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. They loved it, and Aoto really brought his A-game here to serve and made everyone happy. Edward and Winry were interested in this team thing and asked Kakashi a lot while Corazon talked about the new manga that would hit the sales soon. Kakashi, being the sucker he was, was already drooling over the new manga. Sometimes, Aoto felt that Kakashi was spending too much on manga. "So what kind of mission will be given to you?" Aoto asked. "At the moment, they are new and can only take up D-class missions. After completing a certain amount, they would be given higher-level missions," Kakashi said. "What? I thought we would be given A-class missions. Why should we take such low-level missions?" Naruto was furious and shouted. "You are the lowest of the low ranks at the moment, and you expect to get higher-level missions?" Shikuro asked, which infuriated Naruto more. "They can''t do this to us. I will talk with Hokage-sama about this," Naruto said. Everyone just sighed and didn''t bother to talk about the level of missions with Naruto since he somehow felt entitled to higher-level missions for which he wasn''t eligible. After the small gathering, everyone left except for Naruto and Aoto, who were cleaning the kitchen and the room where they ate. Of course, Aoto asked how he passed the test, and Naruto reiterated. Aoto wasn''t that surprised because he had given him the hint of teamwork. Aoto would have been severely disappointed if he had found out that Naruto was tied to the pole like in the original story. Though their strategy wasn''t rocket science, at least they tried, and that was enough. The next day, Naruto woke up early with an excited fervor and thirst for the new life ahead. After all, he would start his missions, and he would be called a genin. His dream of being a Hokage and Sorcerer Supreme started from here. After having his breakfast, he ran like a bat out of hell, and Aoto had to tell him to calm down. After he left, Aoto murmured. "Doesn''t he know that Kakashi will be late and he will have to wait at the office until he arrives?" As expected, Kakashi was late, but eventually, they went for the first task, which was to find a cat that a rich lady had lost. Honestly, what was up with the lady and her obsession with the cat? The cat hated her, and she should have understood that by now. And similar to that, there were multiple low-level missions around Konoha, which were D levels. Normally, Naruto would be grumpy all around and come back huffing and puffing, but something happened that put a smile on his face. For the first time ever, the celestial magic section had opened for Naruto. This was enough to bring him joy, and he ran towards it to learn. And for the first time, Aoto was jealous of his own brother. He didn''t have access yet, as he had only reached a high-level talent. But it was a huge matter in the library as someone finally had access to the celestial magic. And from the looks of Naruto, one could easily tell that he was beyond surprised. 244. So it starts here "I thought that I will conduct a magical test for graduation. Seems like the library had already given you the passing grade." Shikuro said. "Dad, can I not take any tests?" Torune tugged the vest of Shikuro only to be glared down by his father, which made Torune cower down. This made everyone around laugh out loud. "If you can open any other section than the Eldritch one, then sure." Shikuro said which made Torune speechless. How would he know if he could ever open any other sections of the library for himself. "Naruto, you better study well." Aoto said as Naruto was ready to step in and start his accumulation of knowledge of celestial magic. "You got it brother. I will.. soon become powerful and protect you and everyone." Naruto replied. "Who needs your protection, you brat." Edward gave Naruto a knock on his head for saying so big words and thus made everyone laugh. "Uh.. It hurts.." Naruto complained. "Good. It should hurt for saying so big words." Winry chimed in. Normally their grandma would roast Edward and Naruto, but today she was silent. Her silence meant that she was very happy with Naruto. "Where is Zimmer?" Corazon asked as he looked around. "He is a bit busy with the new movie that he is producing." Aoto replied. "A movie huh?! Konoha isn''t known for good movies. Hope it will be a successful one." Shikuro said. "Don''t mention it. I watched the "Heart of the Seas" made by Konoha. I just wanted to puke." Edward complained as one time, he and Winry, went on a date and watched the movie. The story was a about a ninja of Konoha, getting held up on a pirate ship while on a mission to Village hidden in the Mist. The story was only about how he was able to escape from the pirate ship and then complete mission. There was no emotions involved and not even a proper and justified story. When Aoto came to know of the story, he thanked his stars for watching Fast and the Furious, at least there was a center point in those movies. Here there was none and Edward looked pissed after the date. Thankfully. Aoto knew that Zimmer had good stories to tell the world and he had already started working after establishing a great music production company. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Zimmer''s music was already famous in Konoha and was getting fans internationally. You have to understand that the world hadn''t had good music, and though due to war, there had been advancement in literature like poems and war stories, but music didn''t bloom because music needed better instruments and the world wasn''t ready to innovate towards that at the moment. So Zimmer''s music was although hit, it was not able to gain popularity as fast outside. And his music was way ahead of its time. Aoto had brought out the Ipods which was instantly a hit and its sales had already started, both at Konoha and Iwagakure. In fact, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had come one day to discuss if they could take over the distribution of the ipods and if Aoto needed help to innovate the ipods since it was becoming so popular. But Aoto declined. At first the trios were a bit saddened since Aoto declined the deal but then he explained why he did so. It was because Aoto wanted to introduce mobiles in the market. The whole idea stupefied the trio and they got seriously hooked of the grand ideas Aoto had for the future. Now they were not saddened by the refusal of the deal but rather, were optimistic about the future. Naruto meanwhile had already started learning about celestial magic and he was beyond happy to get a hint of the new knowledge which was vast. It is also to be mentioned that Kurama didn''t get access to the celestial magic as he was not eligible. The power of the library, surprised Kurama again. He had seen the power before and it still stumped him. He had a feeling the library might be at the same level as his father, which was absurd for a library but nobody could explain how this place was outside the current space time and he couldn''t feel its existence once he came out. Moreover, the more he read about magic, new doors opened for Kurama. The universe, the multiverse, the Gods, the devils and the powerful beings. Now he realized how stupid he was to think of his own arrogance. Now he could understand why Kaguya, was so powerful and how she could manipulate the laws so easily. Of course, if Aoto ever knew that Kurama thought that way, he would just laugh. Magic had nothing to do with her godlike abilities and she was just powerful by sucking the life energy of others and yes, the betrayal too. Few more days had gone by since the introduction of celestial magic to Naruto, but it didn''t mean that he was immediately able to use celestial magic. He was pretty slow as usual and was just starting. Though his start was poor, it didn''t mean his dedication was. Naruto''s dedication was what made his apart from others. Even Aoto himself never had that kind of dedication. One fine morning, Naruto was called to the Hokage''s office and was given a new mission. A C level mission and a mission which led outside of Konoha. Naruto was beyond ecstatic and came running home to get himself ready. "Where is the mission?" Aoto asked, seeing Naruto was beyond happy to got for a C level mission of security. "To the Land of the Waves." Naruto replied. Aoto, who was busy reading, a novel closed the book slowly and placed it at the table. "So it starts here." Aoto murmured. "Did you say something brother?" Naruto asked as he was busy packing his bag. "No... No.. Nothing.. Just surprised that my brother is old enough now to go outside Konoha and do a mission." Aoto replied. "Hehe.. Brother.. If you join us, you can go out too on a mission. I am sure Kakashi-sensei would love your company." Naruto said. 245. You deserve a beating "Hahaha... If I join, then Hokage-sama would be furious," Aoto said. "Who cares what that old man says," Naruto said and laughed, followed by the chorus laughter of Aoto. They didn''t hesitate to make fun of Hokage-sama, knowing perfectly well that Hiruzen wouldn''t be able to spy on their home. And if he were able to spy, it wouldn''t matter to Aoto because he had made his stand very clear from the beginning. As Naruto got himself ready, they heard the shout. "Naruto, come out, we are already here." It was Sakura who had called, and Naruto beamed with joy. Unlike the original story, Naruto wasn''t infatuated with Sakura. Aoto made sure of that as he indoctrinated Naruto to only go after girls who would genuinely care for him, instead of someone who was just beautiful. Hinata at the moment wasn''t so beautiful, or rather she didn''t exaggerate her features, which made people see her as a beautiful young girl. But Naruto had stayed and learned with her for the past few years to understand and appreciate her a whole lot more. And thanks to that, Hinata hadn''t been that shy. Living with her father, who was still filled with remorse, had given her quite a bit of good lessons in her life, and thus she was a little more confident than her usual self was in the original story. But there was still one problem with Hinata. She still blushed like mad when she was with Naruto, which this blockhead never understood. Winry was very close to kicking his butt, but Aoto stopped him as Naruto needed to figure it out himself, and they were meant to be together anyways by the end. Aoto just needed to make sure that Boruto would be better than the original story. That brat also needed some beating, in the eyes of Naruto. As Aoto was a little lost in his own thoughts, Naruto got down from his home and said hi to his friends and sensei. Aoto just came down to see him off. "Remember, if you feel you are in a tough situation, don''t hesitate to ask for help. Be together and be careful..." Aoto gave a bunch of advice, and by the end, Naruto was a bit annoyed by the long list of advice. As Aoto was dashing out advice, a small meow was heard. "Ahh... Yorichi-san..." Naruto was happy to see the black cat, and it meant that Aoto would have to stop with his words, which he did. Yorichi came forward and rubbed her cheek with Naruto and then with the rest, which surprised everyone. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. And then an amazing thing happened. Yorichi jumped over the bag of Sasuke and lay down. "Yorichi-san, do you wish to go with them?" "Meow." "Are you sure?" "Meow." "Fine. Please take care of them," Aoto said, as he could guess that Yorichi might have noticed a small distress with Aoto and wanted to help them. She was jobless anyways, and going out with them would help her move around a bit. "Wait... I don''t want a cat with me," Kakashi vehemently denied. "Kakashi-san, it''s fine. Yorichi-san wouldn''t meddle in the affairs," Aoto said. "No. It''s not that. She will be in danger if we come across any enemies," Kakashi said. "Don''t worry. She is a good cat, and she won''t get hurt. In fact, it will be tough for anyone to hurt her," Aoto said with a smirk in his voice. "Huh? She is a palicko?" Kakashi asked. Over time, they had all been using Palicko for everyday activities, so Kakashi thought that way. "Palicko? No... She is something else. You don''t have to worry about Yorichi-san. She will stay out of your way and just need to feed her once in a while," Aoto said. "I... I will take care of her," Sakura said, which made Aoto smile. He could see that she was attracted to the cat and wanted to take care of her. "Naruto, you already know what she likes to eat. You help Sakura," Aoto said. "Aye... Aye sir. You can count on me, dattebayo," Naruto said. Kakashi looked a bit uncomfortable that a cat with no affiliation would follow them, but since there wasn''t an extra person on this mission, he could only accept. Aoto gave a few more food items for her, and soon they were off. Naruto, while on the way, also bade goodbye to Corazon and others and thus seemed happy. As they left, Kisuke came out and saw that Yorichi had left. "Did you tell her to go with them?" Aoto asked. "What are you talking about? I don''t understand anything," Kisuke replied while having his hand fan over his mouth. In response, Aoto punched his face with full force, which threw him off. "Now I understand how Ichigo felt with you. You deserve a beating," Aoto said. "Hahahaha." Kisuke laughed while a small trace of blood flowed down his nose. "Don''t laugh," Aoto said. There was a momentary silence before Kisuke got up and brushed the dust off his clothes, and the small trace of blood dried off. "You did good by sending her," Aoto said. Kisuke was silent and just looked into the horizon where Naruto and the rest left. Aoto had also seen Tazuna from afar and knew that the story would unfold the way he knew, and just wanted to see what changed in the story. Yorichi being with them was a major boost in case of an emergency.
Soon the four people were on a long way, and just before they were ready to enter the Land of the Waves, they were attacked by two Mist ninjas. It was fast and ruthless. They ''killed'' Kakashi first and then went for Tazuna. But it was there that the two Mist ninjas made a mistake. They didn''t expect such swift retaliation from the three genins, since they were kids and new. 246. Self evaluation is a must Naruto conjured a shield in one hand and threw a kunai at the oncoming ninja. Sasuke went to meet the other ninja who was now going after Tazuna. Meanwhile, Sakura had already prepared herself to fight and launch a surprise attack from the side. All she needed was an opening. "Naruto, Sasuke, be on your guard," Sakura whispered, her voice barely audible over the rustling of leaves. "Stay behind us, Tazuna," Sasuke ordered, his tone firm. The three were a bit shaken by the death of their sensei, but they weren''t completely disheartened. Tazuna nodded, trembling slightly as he complied. The mist ninjas exchanged a knowing glance before launching their assault. Naruto summoned his magic, conjuring tendrils of yellow energy that crackled around his fingertips. With a flick of his wrist, he sent bolts of energy hurtling toward their enemies. However, his aim was still shaky, and the attacks veered off course, missing their mark. Just like the previous kunai attack, it didn''t meet its mark, but one of the tendrils was able to touch the right abdomen of one of the ninja, inflicting a small injury. Sasuke dashed forward and unleashed a barrage of kunai, each one aimed with deadly accuracy. The mist ninjas dodged and weaved through the onslaught, their agility unmatched. Sakura leaped into action, her fists ablaze with chakra. She darted between her teammates, delivering swift strikes to the mist ninjas. Suiton: Suigadan (Water Release: Water Fang Bullet) The mist ninjas retaliated with their own techniques, tied up with perfect synchronization. And the attacks were aimed right at Tazuna. Naruto and the others were a bit taken aback by the perfect teamwork and momentarily felt ashamed. But at that moment, they needed to save their client. Naruto put everything on the line and proceeded to conjure a circular shield to stop the attack. The bullets hit the shield with immense force, and Naruto was almost thrown back, but Sasuke held him up. They knew that if Naruto''s shield broke, they would be done for. At the last fang bullet, the shield finally broke down, but Naruto was able to stop the attack. Naruto wanted a breather, but Sasuke wasn''t someone to let go of this opening. He threw multiple kunais at them, and the mist ninjas'' long chain-like accessories were jammed by Sasuke''s kunai attack. This came as a surprise to the ninjas as they didn''t expect a small genin to have that much accuracy. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "You little piece of..." One of the mist ninjas wanted to curse more, but before they could do so, Kakashi appeared and with two attacks on the vital parts of the two mist ninjas, they were dead. Everything came to a standstill when Kakashi appeared. "Kakashi-sensei... You''re not... dead?" Sakura, who was on the verge of tears, said. "Of course not. Do you think these two chunins would be able to kill me?" Kakashi said. "But then?" Naruto said, as he was sure he saw tons of blood when the two ninjas attacked Kakashi. But now when he looked there, all he saw were small wooden blocks. Naruto and the others felt ashamed that they thought their new teacher was dead. "I didn''t show up because I wanted to see what these ninjas were after. They were after Tazuna, so now I know their purpose, and this might not be the only incident," Kakashi said as he looked at Tazuna, who had turned his head away, almost as if he was guilty of something. Kakashi wanted to ask more, but he refrained for the moment. His three students had proven to be excellent, much more so than he had thought. "Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura, I also conducted a test to see if you three can coordinate, and I am happy to say that you three have surprised me. Naruto and Sasuke, you did well with your own techniques, though I believe Naruto needs to hone his techniques. Your yellow tendril attack should have been lethal to the chunin. Sasuke, you performed almost perfectly, but I urge you to be more ruthless in the future. As for Sakura, you didn''t do anything wrong in this case, as it was not your place to shine, and I am confident that in the future, you will have the perfect opportunity to act." Kakashi provided a thorough evaluation, and though he tried not to show it, he was proud of his new students. The three genin were also pleased to receive praise. "Meow." "Ah, Yoriichi-san, are you hurt anywhere?" Naruto suddenly remembered they had their black cat with them and rushed to her. "Meow." "I''m glad you''re fine," Naruto sighed and took her in his arms. Seeing this, the group resumed their journey. Sasuke and Naruto were a bit withdrawn into their own thoughts. Sasuke felt a twinge of jealousy when he saw Naruto''s techniques. According to the teacher, Naruto''s technique was almost lethal to the ninjas, and he even saved their lives using that shield of his. While Sasuke pondered this, Naruto was angry with himself for not being able to use magic in these troubled times. Normally, his magic would work fine; he had even dueled against Hinata. But here, when lives were at stake, he felt like a failure. He felt defeated and was sure if he told his brother about this, he would be scolded. "No, this can''t go on. I can''t be scared in situations like this. I will do better," Naruto thought. Meanwhile, Sakura also felt a bit ashamed. Naruto was someone she had always looked down upon a bit, thanks to the environment around her and because he was very bad at ninjutsu. But now she had seen a side of Naruto that she had never known, and she was embarrassed to admit that Naruto was much better than her. She needed to learn some actual ninjutsu instead of the ones she only learnt in school if she wanted to stand up. And in order to get hands on some she either needed a teacher or pay for ninja scrolls. 247. Where did you learn that? The group didn''t stop there; they continued on their way to the Land of the Waves. Thankfully, there weren''t any attacks on them this time, and they even came across the half-built bridge where Tazuna spoke of what was actually going on. "Gato? I heard of him once when he came to meet my brother. My brother kicked him out," Naruto said. "Your brother threw Gato out?" Sakura was horrified when she heard that. "Yes. Brother said he was shady, so he got angry and asked Corazon to throw him out," Naruto said, as if it was a small matter, but Tazuna was horrified when he heard that. "Who did you say your brother was?" Tazuna asked. "My brother''s name is Aoto Yamazaki. He is the richest man in Konoha," Naruto said with pride in his voice. "I never thought Naruto would be smart enough to understand economics," Sakura said. "Don''t underestimate Naruto. He has better money-saving skills than any of us," Kakashi said. Sasuke and Sakura looked at Naruto with wide eyes, seeing him in a new light. Naruto had always been good with money, long before he was adopted by Aoto. Though Aoto was rich, he had always taught Naruto to be strict with money and not to indulge in useless luxuries. Naruto had always been a model child, except for when he was foolish. Meanwhile, Tazuna didn''t expect that the person rising in the world in terms of monetary power was the brother of the small genin he had been escorted with. Soon they reached Tazuna''s home, where they met his daughter and even his grandson, who seemed quite upset with the ninjas. Naruto had a conversation with the grandson about heroes, and the grandson said he didn''t believe in heroes. His father had wanted to be a hero and had lost his life, so he hated the whole notion of heroes. After resting for a full day, Tazuna was ready to leave to build the bridge, and Kakashi had to accompany him for safety. As soon as they reached, they finally met the main villains of the whole arc. Zabuza. Along with Haku. Unlike the original story where Zabuza came alone to attack Kakashi and the three genin, both of them came together. And with that, the fight started as it was supposed to. Only this time, Haku didn''t find it easy to overpower Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. There were multiple reasons for this. Firstly, because there wasn''t as big of a rivalry between Sasuke and Naruto, they were ready to team up instead of trying to be the hero from the beginning, and Naruto was less insecure due to Aoto''s influence. Knowledge had helped Naruto a lot as he had read many books and even been taught by a God who could control time. So he had seen many things in life. Another reason was Naruto''s myriad of magical abilities at his disposal. Zabuza came with a mission to take care of Tazuna and to deal with Kakashi, who had a significant bounty on his head. Haku went after the genin. "Alright, guys, let''s take him down!" Naruto said when he saw the masked man standing in front of them, preventing them from helping Kakashi. "Stay sharp, Naruto. We need to watch each other''s backs," Sasuke said as he kept an eye on Haku, while Sakura was given the task of saving Tazuna, who was shaken by the unexpected attack on the first day. "You three are no match for me," Haku said from behind his mask. "Meow." Meanwhile, Yoriichi looked bored even in this tense situation. Naruto and the others could feel the bloodlust of both Zabuza and Haku, enough to terrify the genin, but it seemed to have no effect on the cat at all. Any other animal in the vicinity had already fled, but not this cat. Even the palicko that Kakashi had summoned for help was a bit distraught by this. It took some time for Naruto and Sakura to get used to this while Sasuke seemed to be doing much better than the other. Though it was weird, nobody paid any attention, and the fight immediately started. With a swift motion, Haku unleashed a barrage of ice needles towards them. Sasuke dodged swiftly, while Naruto summoned a large Tao mandala to defend himself. Finding an opening, Sasuke charged at Haku with a kunai in his hand and tried to strike at his neck, but Haku, being the capable ninja he was, stopped it with his needle. The surroundings had already become misty, with water everywhere. Haku danced gracefully around Sasuke''s attacks, forming intricate hand signs. "Hyoro no Jutsu (Ice Style: Ice Prison)," he exclaimed, creating a dome of ice around Sakura, momentarily trapping her. Naruto was angered by this and threw tao mandalas at the prison, cutting through it easily and breaking it instantly. Haku, having never seen such a technique before, had to back out while Sakura was freed. "Idiot Naruto, what if your attack had hit me?" Sasuke shouted as he emerged. "Huh! Ehe." Naruto smiled sheepishly. "Ehe te nandayo." (A/N: If you know, you know.) "I am sorry," Naruto said apologetically. "I see you two have started quite the circus," Haku said mockingly. Naruto was angry that someone made fun of him and attacked Haku. "Bolts of Balthakk!" A single streak of bolts appeared on the ground, tearing through it like lightning, made up of yellow energy, attacking Haku. Haku didn''t expect such a strange attack and had to dodge. The bolt landed on the ground, tearing up a significant portion before fizzling out. "Naruto? What the hell was that?" Sasuke didn''t expect this and had to ask, witnessing the destruction caused. "Bolts of Balthakk. You know.. Something that Balthakk made in his journey." Naruto spoke the truth as Balthakk was a being of pure energy on the multiverse. "Your brother taught you this?" Sasuke asked. "Something like that." Naruto replied as he was under oath not to speak of the library and could only speak half truth. 248. We are brothers from different mothers Naruto was actually lucky that he could even talk that and the library restrictions imposed by Aoto, because none of the others could speak of magic, let alone who Balthakk was. "Who the hell is Balthakk?" Sakura''s inner voice cried out loud but of course nobody knew of this personality of hers. Haku was barely able to get away from the attack and he was quite astonished that a genin could even come up with this kind of attack. And Sasuke too was very good with kunais thus he knew that this fight wouldn''t be just a mere exchange and him beating them. Haku''s eyes widened in surprise as he struggled to evade Naruto''s magical assault while simultaneously fending off Sasuke''s relentless attacks. "You possess abilities beyond mere ninjutsu... very well, let''s see if you can keep up with me!" But Haku wasn''t something that be could be taken down very easily. "Maky¨­ Hy¨­sh¨­" (Secret Art of Water: Ice Crystal Magic Mirror Technique) Haku belonged to the Yuki clan, and one could perform if they had access to the Kekkai genkai. Several mirrors made of ice surrounded Sasuke and Naruto. Naruto and Sasuke didn''t expect this kind of attack, and Haku traveled swiftly between the mirrors, throwing ice needles at Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto conjured up his Tao mandala to stop them, but he could only do so much. At one point, many needles struck Sasuke. This happened because Naruto''s last shield broke, and in order to save his teammate, Sasuke actually stepped forward and sacrificed himself. Naruto didn''t expect such a move at all and was bewildered. "Why? Why did you save me?" Naruto asked, his eyes widening in shock and confusion. "It''s because... only you can defeat him," Sasuke said, losing consciousness as his head hit Naruto''s shoulder. Naruto still couldn''t grasp exactly what had just happened and why Sasuke would do that. Half of his life, he had suffered and was raised in an orphanage. The other half was filled with love and rigorous training. Though he hated the training, he could see the love and care that everyone had for him. Even his teacher, Loki, who seemed to hate everyone equally, did his best and gave the tough love that Naruto needed. He was mature enough to realize that, but he had never been put into a position like this before. In this new timeline, Iruka hadn''t sacrificed himself, so giving one''s own ''life'' away for someone was a totally new concept for him. This invoked rage inside Naruto. He barely had any friends growing up and was ostracized most of the time. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. It was only after Aoto that things started to change, but even then, people used to look at him with strange eyes and sometimes even hatred. Now, seeing someone dying for his sake, the rage that had built up over all these years burst out. His eyes slowly turned red, and his whiskers seemed to grow bushier. His canines grew, as did his fingernails. A small cloak of red chakra slowly covered Naruto, and what came next was a sense of bloodlust and hatred that permeated the whole battlefield. Kakashi and Zabuza, who were fighting each other, stopped their attacks and looked at Naruto, who had gone off the rails. "That chakra... He''s a jinchuriki..." Zabuza said in his raspy voice. "This is bad. I''ll have to bring Naruto under control," Kakashi said, ready to step forward, but he was stopped by Zabuza. "What''s the matter? Worried that your student will lose control?" Zabuza laughed and struck at Kakashi with his sword, which Kakashi stopped with his special kunai made of vibranium. Using such kunai was helpful since it could offset the impact by a significant degree, but it was not enough to stop Zabuza''s relentless attack, ensuring he wouldn''t leave. Haku, the main instigator, didn''t expect Naruto to be the jinchuriki. He was a bit shocked but also somewhat happy that he was able to start a friendship journey for Naruto, as he was sure that Sasuke was fine. Naruto jumped into one mirror where he saw Haku and lunged at it. But Haku was too fast. Naruto didn''t stop there; he went after Haku, destroying every mirror in the process. It was misty all over, thanks to Zabuza''s technique, but it didn''t deter Haku, as Naruto could easily sense him. Naruto went after Haku like crazy, but he could only do so much with one tail, and that too, it was the first time that Naruto had called upon help from Kurama. Naruto had once tried talking with Kurama but was berated for disturbing him in his studies. But now he needed help, and thus Kurama lent him some chakra and went back to his studies. Though he kept an eye around to ensure Naruto wouldn''t die, the power didn''t last long, as Naruto''s body couldn''t handle the overload of chakra at the moment. He was only able to scratch at Haku before losing consciousness. Meanwhile, Sasuke, who had lost consciousness, finally opened his eyes, thanks to Sakura''s quick medical help that she had been taught in school. When Sasuke woke up and saw that Naruto had also lost consciousness, he asked, "Sakura... What''s going on?" "Sasuke-kun... You''re awake... Naruto... Naruto went mad after you took the needles. He... He lost consciousness by himself," Sakura replied before seeing Sasuke run up to Naruto. If anyone looked closely, they could see that Sasuke had awakened the one tomoe Sharingan. As soon as Sasuke came near Naruto, he pulled out his kunai, and miraculously, a metallic sound rang out. It was Sasuke, who had just stopped an attack from Haku. He was so fast that nobody could see him but Sasuke could. Haku turned and looked at Sasuke. "You are the last survivor of the Uchiha clan.. Just like me..." Haku replied. "Don''t think so highly of yourself. I am nothing like you." Sasuke growled as he felt the pain of the needles and blood flowed through some of the pores. 249. You can talk? Haku didn''t counter that but formed another set of mirrors around. This time, Sasuke was able to keep up with the speed of Haku''s attacks and used his kunai to counter him. Sasuke knew that killing Haku this way was not possible, so he made a plan. While countering Haku, he tried to conserve energy and also ensured that Haku spent more chakra. Sustaining those mirrors for a long time wasn''t feasible, as Sasuke could tell. Sasuke inched away from the mirrors while distracting her. Sakura also got the hint and pulled Naruto away from danger while Sasuke was slowly inching towards Zabuza. Haku could see that, but he could not do anything to stop Sasuke. He tried sending a barrage of needle attacks at Sasuke, only for him to back off at the last moment. And just like in the original story, Sasuke in the end was able to help Kakashi by sending a flurry of kunai attacks. Since Haku wasn''t able to relentlessly attack Sasuke, he got close to Zabuza and sent a huge shuriken that he had in his bag, along with a bunch of kunai. Of course, Zabuza wasn''t foolish enough not to see the attack of a genin, but here was the problem. Kakashi''s Chidori was coming to get him, so he could only move so much. Zabuza didn''t get enough time to escape, and before he knew it, Chidori was close enough to kill him. This was where Haku came in. He made a run for it and did his best to save his mentor. According to the original story, Haku should have been the one to come between Zabuza and sacrifice his life for him. But nothing like that happened. Haku made a run, and before he could get between Kakashi and Zabuza, a small yellow portal opened, and he stumbled toward it. Thus, he was in a different location altogether. Of course, this was done by Naruto, who had finally gained consciousness. Though he was not able to move chakra around, he was able to open a portal. He did that because he thought Haku would harm Kakashi; little did he know that Haku was trying to protect him. Meanwhile, Zabuza wasn''t able to stop Kakashi''s attack and had to take Chidori right on his shoulder. Zabuza didn''t stand a chance, and his right arm just fell off as Sasuke struck him. He cried out in pain as he fell into a small pool of his own blood. Haku wasn''t sent far and thus came running in. He was distraught at the sight of his mentor and father figure lying on the ground. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Sasuke had his arm around Naruto''s neck as they walked in, while Kakashi was spent and looked at Haku, who had been crying like a broken record. Sakura felt bad for this person and wanted to help out of empathy but was berated by Kakashi. Haku looked up and saw Naruto and his team. His eyes were filled with anger and hatred as he looked at them, especially Naruto, since he was the one responsible for sacrificing himself to save him. "What are you looking at me for? I just saved you from a terrible mentor," Naruto said bluntly, seeing the anger on Haku''s face. "I will kill you," Haku replied through gritted teeth and jumped at Naruto. Everyone was spent and didn''t have the energy to stop another attack, which came as a surprise. "Naruto! Dodge!" Sakura cried out and actually put herself between them and Haku. She somehow found the courage after seeing Sasuke at the last moment and was fueled by guilt. She closed her eyes, expecting to be hit by Haku. "No, Sakura!" "Sakura!" Everyone cried out, but before Haku could land his needle on Sakura and throw her away, he was hit in the face by something. There was a sudden black flash, and he was thrown away as if a hurricane had come and changed his direction altogether. "What the¡­" Kakashi and Sasuke saw what had hit Haku, and not even in their wildest dreams could they imagine such a situation. Haku, who had been hit, got up with a mark on his pretty white and feminine face. The mark of a paw was evident, as now the mist had cleared with Zabuza on his deathbed. Naruto and Sakura finally understood what had hit Haku. It was the black cat. Yoruichi. "Yoruichi-san¡­" Sakura had always called the cat directly Yoruichi, but for some reason, she wanted to pay respects at this time. And for the first time in front of everyone, Yoruichi spoke up in her iconic voice. "You have done enough. If you leave now, you can save him. You can choose to be here and ask for revenge or save that person." "What? Yoruichi-san can speak?" Naruto was going mad as he had never seen her speak. "The cat speaks?" Sasuke was beyond disbelief, just like Sakura. "Is this some kind of different Palicko?" Kakashi thought. Haku looked at Zabuza and knew that the cat was right. Though he didn''t expect a cat to hit him in the face with such force, he had a feeling that if he pushed his luck, it might turn out bad for him. Haku, with drooped shoulders and tired eyes, slowly crawled toward Zabuza and picked him up. Zabuza was alive, but he needed to stop the bleeding. Haku gave him rudimentary medical help, but it wasn''t enough. If he wasn''t treated, he would die in 2 to 3 hours. Naruto was still not over the fact that Yoruichi could talk. "What are you looking at?" Yoruichi said, looking at Naruto, who had his jaw on the floor. "You can talk?" Naruto asked. "Of course, I can talk. And I need to do more now as there are people coming in," Yoruichi said as she looked into the distance. Everyone turned around and saw five ninjas in the distance, each of them wearing an anbu mask, and some of them were wearing the mist village headband. 250. No fancy moves "Can you please wear some fucking clothes?" It was Sasuke who had shouted as Yoruchi didn''t have any cloth on her and was naked. The only reason she wasn''t fully visible was because of the mist around. Yoruichi realized that she really was naked and then quickly got her self some cloth. Thanks to Naruto, who conjured up a cloth for her. "Hai.. Hai.. Its been so long time I wore something.." Yoruichi said as he got comfortable. Kakashi was already exhausted and all beaten up since the fight, but seeing her almost naked, made him lose some more blood. Only the three kids were not affected, but they were terribly annoyed and surprised. Especially Naruto, but at the moment they could look over the fact of Yoruichi, because they now had immediate enemy to take care of. "Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan.. You have interesting friends." one of the mist ninja in mask said. "We are not friends." Yoruichi replied casually. "Silence woman.. I am not talking to you." the mis ninja replied. The mist ninja didn''t expect what happened next. Yoruichi vanished from her place and appeared at a distance away from him. And then vanished again. This went on for a second before she appeared again. This time behind the mist ninja. "What.." Before her adversary could react, Yoruichi struck with lightning speed. Her hand blurred as she targeted the pressure points along his spine, a precise strike that left him paralyzed with shock, his body crumpling to the ground like a marionette with severed strings. "What the hell." "This woman..." Yoruichi didn''t continue the attack but looked stood there and looked at them. "You have some guts to come here and be rude to me." Yoruichi said with a cold tone and for some reason the other 4 ninjas stepped back. Kakashi, who was on the arms of Sakura, looked at Yoruichi with wonder. His still had his sharingan in active mode and he could see that she moved in incredible speed. Almost like the flicker jutsu of Shisui. "We are only here to take away Zabuza and not create any messy situations." one of the ninja said as his hand slowly creeped towards the bag to bring out the kunai. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "It''s already too late." Yoruichi replied. With a burst of speed, she closed the distance between herself and her foes, her movements fluid and precise as she engaged them in a deadly dance of combat. Dodging their attacks with effortless agility, Yoruichi weaved between them like a shadow, her strikes finding their mark with unerring accuracy. The mist ninjas fought with desperation, their weapons slashing through the air with lethal intent. But Yoruichi was a master of evasion, her reflexes honed to perfection by years of training and experience. In a blur of motion, she disarmed one of her opponents, sending his weapon clattering to the ground with a swift strike. Another mist ninja fell to her devastating blows, his defenses crumbling beneath the relentless assault. The remaining two mist ninjas exchanged wary glances, their resolve faltering in the face of Yoruichi''s relentless onslaught. With a nod of silent understanding, they lunged forward in unison, their blades flashing in the moonlight. But Yoruichi was already prepared, her senses heightened by the thrill of battle. With a deft movement, she sidestepped their attacks, her movements fluid and precise as she countered with a barrage of strikes. In mere moments, the battlefield fell silent, save for the sound of Yoruichi''s steady breathing. The mist ninjas lay defeated at her feet, their weapons scattered amidst the swirling mists. Kakashi and the others had their jaws on the floor as they looked at her and how easily she took care of everyone present. Even Gato, who had appeared behind these ninjas, was shaking. He was the one who informed the Village Hidden in the Mist, and even their best jonin couldn''t stand up to a mere woman. These ninjas didn''t even have time to weave hand signs and perform ninjutsu. What more could be said? She looked at Gato and his band with menacing eyes and said, "I will give you one minute to take your scraps and piss off, or else I will start plucking each and every one of you and throw them over the bridge. And I will also make sure that you won''t see land ever in your life again," Yoruichi said. Of course, Gato didn''t like her tone and pulled his gun. He pointed it at Yoruichi, only to realize that she had vanished and was near him. He got even more scared but then found himself in the air. Yoruichi had thrown him off the ledge without any warning. She had had enough of them. The other bandits looked at her and just made a run in fear. They didn''t even care about Gato at this point. Yoruichi slowly walked towards them. Everyone was speechless. "How... How were you a cat? I have seen you as a cat all my life. What kind of ninjutsu is this?" Naruto was scared and spoke out loudly. "That''s not ninjutsu. Idiot," Yoruichi said while hitting him on the head. "Ahh.. It hurts..." Naruto said. "Now it hurts, huh? Did you forget how you used to tease me when you were small? This is payback," Yoruichi said and started hitting him. Naruto was not someone to take abuse and thus started throwing kicks and punches at her. Sasuke and the others felt awkward and just looked at these two fighting like small kids. But after some time, Naruto was exhausted and in pain, so he had to lie down. "You did good, kid," Yoruichi said. "Hahaha.. Thanks.. But I lost," Naruto said. "You went against a special chunin who I think was almost jonin level. You stood your ground in your first fight. That''s commendable," Yoruichi said. "I don''t think brother will be too happy," Naruto said. "Hahaha.. Don''t worry about him. Send them to the shop," Yoruichi said as she pointed towards the two men. "You... You want to save them?" Naruto was perplexed. 251. Too many guests "They deserve to live. It was just a job for them. And from the looks of it both of them had a tough life." Yoruichi said. "But they are the enemies of the village too." Sasuke chimed in this time. He wasn''t ready to just leave them like that. They almost died. "And thus they will be in prison after they are healed." Yoruichi said, while looking at Kakashi. He seemed like he wanted to say something but once Yoruichi spoke about imprisonment, he didn''t say a word more. Capturing one of the 7 swordsmen of the mist would be a treasure trove of information for Konoha. Sasuke didn''t have an argument against it and though he wanted a revenge, he didn''t speak more, Naruto put on his sling ring and sent the two directly to the shop. His brother would know what to do, while they would stay here by making sure that the bridge was built. They would also help in making the bridge. Sasuke and Sakura were still not over the fact that Naruto could teleport such long distances with just a small gesture and they also wanted to learn this "ninjutsu" but it was a family secret so they wouldn''t know. "You guys should carry on." Yoruichi said and walked away as she looked bored and wanted to explore around a bit. Thus Tazuna started working again.
"You can come out," Yoruichi said as she ventured deep into the forest and spoke loudly. "My... My... Konoha has been holding quite a few of their trump cards," a hoarse voice came from one side of the forest. Emerging from the thick bushes and trees was a man who was pale blue in color, with eyes unlike any human she had seen before, carrying a huge and broad sword on his back, the sword wrapped in bandages. Yoruichi turned around and looked at the man who had appeared. She had seen many kinds of humans coming and going out of Konoha. She had even seen the Tsuchikage. But never a man like him. He looked like a tank, and just from the feeling this person gave her, this man was definitely a tanky beast. The aura this person was emanating was quite wild. But all of this didn''t faze her at all. "Who do we have here? You are quite the beast from what I can feel," Yoruichi replied. "Hahahah... I have been called that quite a bit of times," the man replied. He wanted to talk more, but instead, he saw Yoruichi taking out some portraits from her back. And after turning the portraits, she started to compare them to the man in front. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. It was a quite funny scene as she kept the different portraits made on paper parallel to each other and started mumbling. "Not this... Not this... Definitely not this, the eyes are very different... Ah yes... This is the one... Let me see... Hmm... Hoshigaki Kisame... Belonged to the Cypher division of Kirigakure... Then betrayed and killed his mentor to get the sword Samehada, thus becoming one of the 7 swordsmen of the mist. Later joins Akatsuki since he is quite disillusioned about the ninja world and thinks he can change the world... Strength - huge amount of chakra, giving him the title ''tailless beast'' and can use the sword to suck the chakra of others and grow. Samehada is said to be chakra hungry as it is a live sword, but isn''t very loyal. Cons - slow on land and vulnerable to lightning attacks. Yeah, that is all I have," Yoruichi replied as she read the things while putting on spectacles as she read that. Yes, the man who appeared was Kisame, and at the moment, he was shaking. He had never seen someone unveil all his secrets like this. Even Madara, who had recruited him, didn''t have that kind of information like this woman who had appeared out of nowhere spoke out loud. "I will take that as a yes. Since you belong to the Akatsuki, I will advise you to fuck off. Especially to someone who is slow on land and is vulnerable to lightning, because those are my strongest points. I am not trying to con you but warn you," Yoruichi said as her whole body suddenly came into life. Static electricity could be seen coming out in sparks around. Though she might not look as menacing as the Raikage, she definitely had her strengths that made Kisame very uncomfortable. "Woman... Who the fuck are you?" "Hahaha... Since I am in a good mood, I will reply. Yoruichi Shih¨­in, 22nd head of Shih¨­in clan, ex-Captain of the 2nd Division and a helper to Kisuke Urahara," Yoruichi said. "Shih¨­in clan? What clan is that?" Kisame mumbled as he had never heard of such a clan and from the battle he just witnessed, the clan shouldn''t be a nameless one. The yellow lightning was not normal as that color hadn''t been seen as it was mostly white or blue. He wanted to engage against her, but his instinct was telling him not to. Kakashi was someone he had been warned against before, and though they had the job of capturing a jinch¨±riki, the situation right now wasn''t idle. He was actually here to see if he could recruit Zabuza as Pain had asked him to invite the other swordsman. Sadly, he was out of commission forever, and he wouldn''t be of any help. "I think I might have overstepped my boundaries. I will take my leave," Kisame said. Yoruichi just looked at him with dead eyes as if she didn''t care if he left or not and would lash out at any moment. He knew that he should leave, so he didn''t waste any moment to just jump on the nearby tree and vanish into the thick forest. After he left, Yoruichi was again silent for a moment. "You guys need to work on your stealth. It''s getting boring now," Yoruichi spoke out loud, and after a few moments, another person came out of the shadows. Hatake Kakashi. 252. Real life lessons are required "Sorry for the intrusion. I didn''t mean to offend you," Kakashi said, his arms raised in a sign of surrender. "No. You came here to see if I am some kind of spy," Yoruichi didn''t beat around the bush at all and said what was on Kakashi''s mind. He looked embarrassed for being called out like that. This woman didn''t really seem to care about his feelings and had no manners at all. But after all, she was a cat all this time. He had been seeing the cat since the one with the hat came and hovered around always. Even he used to pet her when he used to come to the shop to buy food for Palicko and talk with Aoto about the new manga. He was also a bit embarrassed thinking about that. "I am a shinobi from Konoha. Sometimes this behavior comes by nature," Kakashi said. "And I am not holding your breath for that," Yoruichi said as she stretched herself a little. There was an awkward silence for some time before Kakashi asked. "You know of Akatsuki?" "What about it? Damn if I know. Damn if I don''t," Yoruichi said. "Konoha has been looking for them for quite some time," Kakashi said, as the organization had been heard about a lot since Itachi had joined them after massacring his whole clan. Itachi once was under him in the Anbu, and thus he had a soft side for him. In addition, he was the sensei of Sasuke, thus making it his job to know of the potential enemies of his students. "I don''t know much about them as I don''t care about politics. But I do have one piece of information," Yoruichi said. "Will I get the pleasure of hearing about it?" Kakashi asked. "If you have some kind of death wish, only then go after them," Yoruichi said as she transformed herself back into a black cat. Kakashi was amazed at how easily she transformed into a cat, and it didn''t even look like ninjutsu. She was enigmatic as ever. "You should go and rest. Your body will fail at any moment," Yoruichi said and walked away. "What the hell are you?" Kakashi murmured as he too left. He was exhausted and could already sense that his overuse of chakra would render him useless soon. When he returned to his temporary living quarters, he saw Yoruichi was already there and was sleeping. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Kakashi could only shake his head and go to sleep. He didn''t need to think of the safety of his students. From what he had seen, Yoruichi was more than enough.
A few days later. The bridge was finally built, and Kakashi was back on his feet. Thanks to the rest he had gotten after Yoruichi accepted to be his bodyguard, he didn''t even bother to come out of his quarters. "Yosh... We have completed the mission. We can go back," Naruto said. "Yoruichi-san, after going back, will you continue teaching us your moves?" Sasuke asked the cat that was now sitting over the bag. "If you behave, I might," Yoruichi replied. Sasuke was all smiles and made it a point to show Naruto. "What are you so smug about? Urahara-san teaches me too. He is better," Naruto said. "I doubt it. I have never seen someone as fast and nimble as Yoruichi-san. She took down Jonins in hand-to-hand combat. Does Urahara-san have that kind of record under him?" Sasuke was not someone to back down and said. "He... He... Hand-to-hand combat isn''t the only denominator of power. I am sure Urahara-san is a great swordsman and is a great kenjutsu specialist," Naruto said. "I am sure Yoruichi-san has other techniques. Isn''t that right?" Sasuke asked. Yoruichi seemed to have closed her eyes, and only when called did she open. "He is better with swords, and I am better at hand-to-hand combat, but it''s not as easy as it looks. Everyone needs to pay a price for higher power. Be it personality, relations, health... Nothing comes for free in the world," Yoruichi said, thus giving them a life lesson. This made both of the headbutting idiots shut up. All three of them didn''t know what it exactly meant, but Kakashi became silent. He knew what she meant because he had faced it. His Sharingan came at a price, a price he would rather not ever pay. Naruto didn''t argue more and opened the portal to Konoha. They all stepped inside, and thus they were back 20 meters away from Konoha. Sasuke and the others were still amazed by this ''ninjutsu'' and couldn''t help but think how easily they could reach places. Naruto was a bit proud of this move as this move was one of the toughest and took the longest to learn. Naruto was soon back at home. Aoto, looking at him, could already see that Naruto had changed a bit. There was a fire inside his eyes that wasn''t there before. After returning, he went to take a shower while Aoto asked Yoruichi what happened. "Oh, so he got saved by Sasuke?" Aoto was not expecting that as he thought that Naruto''s new knowledge would help him, but real-world situations weren''t the same as practice. But Aoto wasn''t that concerned about it. It was good that Naruto was growing up by now because this world would demand that from him soon enough. "So they know about your real body, and Kisame came?" Aoto asked. Yoruichi, while chomping on an apple, nodded her head. Aoto was a bit confused about Kisame, and though he did give the explanation of Zabuza, he felt like Zabuza wasn''t powerful enough to warrant the attention of Akatsuki. Maybe it was because of Haku. Who knows? Speaking of them, both of them showed up at their doorstep. Thankfully it was inside the shop; otherwise, it would raise the alarm bells of Konoha''s sensory squad, and the system shielding helped in it. Unohana was called, and Zabuza was now currently stable, albeit missing a limb. Both of them were handed to Konoha. Ibiki personally came to take them away. 253. I am just curious about snake After a few days of their return, Aoto was called into the Hokage¡¯s office. The call was official, and he had to go, so Aoto showed up at the office like a good citizen of Konoha. He was a bit confused about why he was called, but he went anyway. "Ah, Aoto-kun. Come in," Hiruzen was in his office, and he wasn¡¯t the only one present. There were some high-ranking Anbu ninjas and also Kakashi. It was basically a high-ranking meeting, except for the old ones who had controlled things behind the scenes. Those old ones had lost most of their control over Konoha after what Aoto did to them in their last meeting. One was even exiled and made to go with the daimyo as an advisor. This was the highest insult one could receive. "What is this all about?" Aoto came and sat in the lone chair in the center while they stood in a semi-circle behind the Hokage. "Your techniques have caused quite the ruckus, Aoto-kun," Hiruzen said with a sigh and a hint of embarrassment. "I didn¡¯t do anything," Aoto replied, as he couldn¡¯t remember if he had broken any current laws. "Yes, but your adopted brother has been sending prisoners, half-dead, to Konoha," Hiruzen said. "He should get a medal for that," Aoto said. "No. He sent them directly inside Konoha, using space-time jutsu. That technique is dangerous, and anyone could coerce Naruto into revealing it," one of the shinobi in a mask said. "Nobody can learn that technique forcefully, even if they¡¯re taught the basics and steps. I won¡¯t say why, but it¡¯s just not possible," Aoto said. "How sure are you about that?" Hiruzen asked with all sincerity. "About 99%, if you want to scale it," Aoto said. Hiruzen nodded. "I will allow this transgression one time, but nobody is allowed to use this jutsu inside Konoha again," Hiruzen said. "But Hokage-sama, what if someone forces him to use it, thus infiltrating the village?" "For that, Kakashi is here. What do you think, Kakashi? Will you be able to protect Naruto?" Hiruzen asked. "Until he becomes a chunin, I promise to keep an eye on him," Kakashi said. He also wanted to say that Naruto had other techniques too, and soon he wouldn¡¯t even need his help and would be a unit of his own. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. If anything, the only reason he might fail would be because of his own stupidity. But that too could be honed, and he was ready to be more battle-ready than during the Land of Waves mission. "Then it¡¯s settled," Hiruzen said. Aoto was just a bit annoyed that he had been called for this small matter and was ready to leave when Hiruzen spoke again. "But it was still a breach of the law." Aoto scrunched his eyebrows when he heard that. He didn¡¯t know what kind of game Hiruzen was playing, but he wanted to see. "The chunin exams are coming," Hiruzen said. "And?" Aoto asked, as he already knew the chunin exams were on the horizon and thus the whole orchestra of his death. "Two villages have decided to conduct the test, and it will be held here," Hiruzen said. This was where Aoto was surprised. "Did you just say two villages?" Aoto asked. "Yes, thanks to the economic connections we have with Sunagakure and Iwagakure, both Kages decided, along with me, that Konoha would host the chunin exams," Hiruzen explained. "How were you able to convince another grandpa who¡¯s almost as old as you, if not older?" Aoto asked. "Hahaha... He¡¯s one year older than me, and even though he¡¯s very conservative in his approach, he accepted the suggestion. Thanks to you, Aoto-kun," Hiruzen said. "What did I do?" Aoto asked. "He¡¯s quite intrigued by you, and apparently, he wants to have closer relations with you," Hiruzen said. If it had been any other person, Hiruzen would have suggested training him to be a spy for Konoha, since Onoki was very interested. But he knew that idea would be swatted away, even with the mere mention of it. "I¡¯m glad I¡¯ve been helpful to Konoha in building a relationship with another village," Aoto said. "Thus, we have decided that you, Shikuro, Unohana, and Urahara will be appointed as examiners for the upcoming exams," Hiruzen said. "Oye... Oye... I will not accept it," Aoto flat-out said. "But you did break the law, and thus you have to serve the punishment," one of the Anbu behind him said. "I don¡¯t care, I¡¯m not interested," Aoto said. He didn¡¯t want to be in the whole mess that would be created by Orochimaru. "Aoto-kun, after the chunin exams, I will resign as Hokage. Do me a favor in my name," Hiruzen said. Aoto was ready to bolt out if he was pressured more, but when he heard that, he couldn¡¯t help but do a double take. "And who will be the next Hokage?" Aoto asked. "We haven¡¯t decided yet, but I¡¯ve asked someone to bring in Princess Tsunade. Since you¡¯re not interested, she¡¯s my next best choice," Hiruzen said. "Hahahha... Princess Tsunade wouldn¡¯t help you after what happened during the war," Aoto said. "I know, and that¡¯s why I sent someone to help convince her to come back," Hiruzen said. "If you still think she wouldn¡¯t be a good fit, you can always sit in my place." "No, thank you. I¡¯ll be surprised if you¡¯re able to convince her," Aoto said. Hiruzen just smiled. "So you¡¯re on board with the whole examiner job?" "Fine. But this is the last time I¡¯m doing something like this," Aoto said. "Then please convince the others too," Hiruzen said. Aoto wanted to say, "Screw you," but stopped himself. There was no point. He would be dragged into the mess, and a part of him was curious about the enigmatic and crazy Orochimaru. 254. He is back after a long time Aoto was back at his place. There were some days left before the two villages came for the exam, and thus the village was now actively trying to make itself presentable. Aoto called everyone at night for a meeting after Torune and Naruto went to sleep. "What''s this call for late at night?" Jon asked. These days he had hardly been around and actually went to the Nights Watch to see what was going on. He needed to save himself from the upcoming danger. No matter what, he didn''t want to ''die'' here. Arya was following her father, who had gone out of Westeros to see how the dragon girl was. She too was here. "What''s this call for?" Arya asked. Everyone was curious. "You must have heard about the Chunin Exams," Aoto said, to which many of them nodded. Those who didn''t understand were brought up to speed. "What about it?" Yoruichi asked. "I have been tasked to be one of the examiners for the exams. And so is Shikuro, Unohana, and Urahara," Aoto said. "Maa.. maaa.. I am just a shopkeeper, I can''t do anything," Kisuke said while Unohana just stayed silent and looked at Aoto. Everyone scoffed hearing his words but didn''t speak a word against it. "Anyways, we are required to be the examiners and should report as ones soon," Aoto said. "You called us all just for this?" Corazon was confused and asked. "No. I called you here because there might be an attack on the village," Aoto said. This made everyone from casually sitting around to sitting with their spine straight. "Say that again?" Shikuro asked as he felt a jolt. An attack on Konoha? This had never happened before. "You heard me right. There might be an attack, but I am not sure about it," Aoto said. "How sure are you?" Corazon asked. "An attack on Konoha is inevitable if you ask me. Be it during the Chunin exams or in the future. I can say that the chance of an attack now is around 40%," Aoto said. "40% is quite high," Unohana said. "Then what do you want to do?" Shikuro asked, as he could see that Aoto wasn''t that much attached to Konoha, but he hoped that he would try to protect this place. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "Of course, save the place. Urahara will decide our course of action if there is an attack," Aoto directly dumped the workload on Urahara. "I am not..." Urahara protested, but before he could say more, everyone chimed in and screamed. "Shut up." This made Urahara shut up pretty fast. "Since you said there will be an attack. Do you have any idea how the attack will arrive?" Shikuro asked. "I can only speculate. Maybe Iwagakure and Sunagakure will join hands and attack together, but if they do that, the attack will be flimsy. If Sunagakure attacks by itself, then we''ll be in deep trouble if Iwagakure decides to help Konoha. Or it can go bad, and all three villages start a massive brawl, which will ultimately be harmful to Konoha and the business," Aoto said. "So we have unknown enemies," Corazon said. Aoto just shrugged his shoulders. "This is going to be a fun exam," Unohana smiled as she got up and left. This left a bitter taste in the mouths of everyone, as one could already guess what Unohana might be thinking. They just hoped she wouldn''t go too crazy.
The next few days went by like a train on boosters. The shops under Aoto were cleaned and decorated. The manga shop was given a renovation as Aoto gave Corazon more manga from his previous world. Romantic manga were in craze now, like "Komi Can''t Communicate" and "Kobayashi-san no Maid Dragon." Thanks to manga and Hans Zimmer, anime production had started and was gaining track. Basically, Konoha was on its way to becoming the next Tokyo with its own Akihabara. It was a slow process and would take years, but it had started to slowly transform. The bakery shop had also expanded, and Hot Pie actually didn''t work much. He had employees under him who would bake for him while he directed. It was like a dream come true for him, and he loved being the boss of his own shop in such a lively place. As the days went by, Aoto noticed the change in the village. A few unknown shinobi had started showing up wearing bands from two different villages. The locals were a bit apprehensive of them and just stayed away from them as much as possible. Though there were no major conflicts or even street brawls, one could feel the tension for sure. In these few days, Urahara hadn''t been lazy. He and Tessai went around the whole village and put up kido in different places for defense. Of course, this was done sneakily, and the guardians of Konoha never knew what these two were up to. Even Yoruichi helped them. But as the preparations were in full swing, there was a guest at Aoto''s shop. Jiraiya. "Yo... It''s been some time since I saw you," Jiraiya asked as he came in. Over the years, he had visited sometimes, but this was the longest he had been out of the village. More than a year had passed since he went away. And now he was back, just in time. "It''s you who had gone missing. I thought something happened to you," Aoto joked. "I am the Toad Sage. Nothing can happen to me," Jiraiya seemed to get offended and said. "Many have proclaimed that, and many have lost their lives. Even Hanzo had died, who proclaimed himself to be some kind of immortal, much less us," Aoto said. This made the cheerful Jiraiya shut up. He had read the reports. He also missed his students. He had tried looking for them, and all he got in return was that they were dead, which almost broke his heart because he loved them. "Anyways, I can see the commotion around. I am very excited," Jiraiya said. 255. We need some private time "You are excited because of the different women that are visiting in this whole event." Aoto smirked and said. "What do you know? This is research for my new novel." Jiraya said. "You mean your harem novel." Aoto said. Thanks to the different manga, this gave too much of an inspiration of Jiraya and thus made him all in for a harem story. Aoto was not happy about it, but he also knew that Jiraya was writing a very serious story too based on his life experience, the one which would be later named as ''The tales of Naruto Uzumaki." "That is art." Jiraya argued back, and Aoto just shrugged his shoulders in defeat. As Aoto and Jiraya were talking, Naruto came out from behind the store. "Brother, I am going out. Sasuke called." Naruto said. At this moment, all of the homes were now connected via landline so one could call another person easily. Even radios were widely used by the shinobis and Konoha had actually started selling these to the different villages nearby. Danzo was not happy about it, but the Ino-Shika-Cho clans pushed back as they had quite the wealth at the moment and had a huge say on how things worked in the village. Not only these three clans, Aoto had also established well sourced projects with other clans of the village and had been making business. Urahara had been working very hard and had been keeping the books. In order to help him, Aoto actually bought him a good computer, which allowed him to have a proper books and tally. "Okay. Be careful. Don''t start a fight out." Aoto said. "Brother, it has been years since I started a fight." Naruto said. "Yes, but two different villages are here so they might just start a fight." Aoto reminded. This made Naruto deep think a bit and then asked. "What two villages?" This made both Aoto and Jiraya fall on their face. This guy was hopeless. Aoto had to explain him again and Naruto seem to understand. He finally looked at the old man with white hair and asked. "Who is this guy?" "Naruto, be respectful. This is your sensei." "What?" "When did I say that?" Both Jiraya and Naruto were flabbergasted by this response and cried out. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Naruto, Sasuke is busy with Kakashi-sensei and you will need someone to teach you some general shinobi skills." Aoto said. "And this old man will teach me?" Naruto asked, not at all impressed by the look of this sleazy man. Jiraya seemed to be offended and said. "How dare you look down on me kid. I am the great toad sage. It will be your honor if I teach you. Which I will not." Jiraya said as he ran out and summoned a toad. Before Naruto could say a word, he vanished from the spot with a puff of smoke. He was dumfounded. "This.. This is awesome." Naruto was impressed and made a run. Aoto just smiled as he looked at the duo ran away. This turned out to be fine and as expected. At the end of the day, he didn''t know exactly how to teach him rasengan and Naruto needed a better sensei. Aoto had a load of customers today and though he wanted to go around and have a bit of fun, he couldn''t as this time was the best time to advertise himself and his products. As he was catering to different customers, one customer came which actually surprised him. Ohnoki, the current Tsuchikage. With Deidara hanging behind him like a annoyed brat. "It''s been a long time, young boy." Ohnoki said as she entered the shop. "Welcome to the shop Tsuchikage-sama." Aoto replied with courtesy. Though he was a bit surprised with their arrival, he didn''t forget his manners and this place was his home to begin with. "I have been looking for you. A tough nut to find, you are." Ohnoki said. "Uh! I have always been here. You can ask around." Aoto said. "But I didn''t see your face. You only send that idiot Urahara." Ohnoki said. "He is the best manager around and I would never choose any other person." Aoto said as he could feel that Ohnoki wanted someone to replace him, at least at the management Iwagakure wanted some kind of control. But Urahara was stubborn and thus never allowed anything to be out of his control. And Ohnoki thought he could control if Aoto was around. "You could have done better if you are yourself handling the situation." Ohnoki said. "I am not a businessman, I am an inventor. Thanks to Konoha, I could earn some money." Aoto said while humbling himself. "Tch! Who are you fooling? You are now one of the richest of the world and you are saying, you know nothing of business." Ohnoki said. "Thanks to my brilliant management and managers." Aoto said. Ohnoki didn''t look that much old here and though he did have wrinkles like Hiruzen, he was still quite healthy and his back seemed to be fine as of now. Deidara meanwhile was just look at Aoto with brightly lit eyes. There was devotion in his eyes, if one wanted to explain him. "Whatever. Show me your products. I heard you have better computers handmade by you." Ohnoki said. "Show me." Aoto gladly opened a catalogue and showed him the different computers which he had ''made''. Suffice to say, he was impressed by the specifications and immediately wanted to buy one of his main office. Not only did he buy computers, he even went on to buy the costliest Palicko and Aoto was glad to make that sale. After Ohnoki paid for the products and Deidara packed, many people had left. They were kind of intimidated by the presence of Tsuchikage and Deirdara who was looking at everyone with condescending eyes. Aoto wanted him to stop but he allowed him to do so because he could tell that Ohnoki wanted to speak to him privately. 256. Join my shop After ensuring privacy and asking Deidara to look around to make sure nobody was nearby, Ohnoki took a seat opposite the counter. Aoto was also curious and wanted to see what the drama was all about. "I will not take much of your time," Ohnoki said. Aoto nodded, eager for him to continue. "What are those techniques that only you and some of your friends know how to do?" Ohnoki asked, looking straight at him. "Those are private ninjutsu techniques of the family," Aoto replied, revealing nothing. "Don''t lie to me. We both know that the techniques you are using are not ninjutsu. I have asked multiple sensory-type ninjas from that battle, and everyone said that they didn''t sense any chakra. So the techniques are not based on ninjutsu, and I am curious about them," Ohnoki said. "Firstly, they are our private techniques, and there are special conditions to learn them. And since they are private, we are not obligated to share them with anyone. Secondly, Konoha would have notified us if they thought we didn''t use ninjutsu. So your words hold no meaning," Aoto said, adamant and keeping his emotions in check. He remained calm and didn''t panic in the slightest. But it also showed how alert Ohnoki was. No wonder he was a great Tsuchikage after his mentor died. Ohnoki looked deeply into Aoto''s eyes and then slowly floated up, putting both of his palms outward. "You better spill your secrets or you might have to say goodbye to the wealth you hold dear. Your techniques might be fancy, but they won''t stand a chance against my particle dismantling jutsu." Aoto didn''t seem fazed by the threat. He just looked at Ohnoki with no emotion on his face and didn''t even bother to call his friends for any kind of ''help.'' He didn''t need one anyway. "Tsuchikage-san, it''s Konoha. You should think before you take any steps," Aoto said. Ohnoki''s hands lit up, and a small cylindrical-shaped transparent container formed just in front of them. "This will be an act of terrorism. You performing a jutsu outside the supervision of the Hokage is already enough to start a war between us. Would you want that?" Aoto continued. "The peace that you have fostered after so many years, are you ready to lose that just because you got greedy?" This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "Or do you want your greediness to bring forward a bloodbath and let your future generations also die out? Since when did you become so egomaniacal, you old geezer?" Aoto''s words became more deranged and filled with mockery as he made fun of Ohnoki. This prompted his jutsu to expand, now taking the shape of a cuboid. "You should put away that jutsu of yours that you are so proud of. This is a great jutsu. In fact, I will say that if you had a huge amount of chakra and some brains, you would probably be the greatest Kage, not Minato stealing all the limelight in the previous war. Think before you take actions," Aoto said. Ohnoki, who had been silent and slowly levitating, suddenly smirked and then burst out laughing. His jutsu faded away, and he slowly floated down. He continued laughing for quite some time and even wiped away small tear drops from the side of his eyes, caused by laughter. "I have never seen someone make fun of me when I am threatening me of their lives. This has never happened before. You have got quite the guts to speak to a Kage with such disrespect. I am your customer and your guest. " Ohnoki laughed. Aoto wanted to badly say that it had happened before and he had just forgotten about it. "Danzo wanted to do the same and now he is no more in the picture. He runs away like a rat when we meet eyes so its useless to threaten me." Aoto said, and this it was Tuschikage''s turn to be surprised. Any Kage of any village knew about Danzo and the dark side of Konoha. He knew what kind of man he was, and how for the sake of Konoha he would go to any lengths. Now it made sense to him. Danzo probably threatened Aoto of revealing his jutsu but he must have been beaten him badly to actually allow Aoto to operate like everything was normal. His words just made Ohnoki realize that. After an awkward silence, Ohnoki asked. "Is there any way for me to learn your techniques. Iwagakure will pay a price for this and since you don''t belong to the Academy, you can sell us your techniques." Ohnoki said. "Then you will have to fulfil the conditions. I won''t ask for money." Aoto said. "What are the conditions?" Ohnoki was intrigued now. "Join the shop and be loyal to the shop." Aoto said. This condition surprised Ohnoki as he expected he would be wanting some kind of secrets of Iwagakure, but this guy only wanted loyalty. Loyalty was one of the most fickle thing in this world and expecting an unwavering loyalty was just like expecting money to drop from the pockets of strangers. Both of them have extreme low chances of happening. But he had a feeling that there was more to the conditions than ''loyalty''. "I will think about it." Ohnoki left promptly after that. Deidara was already waiting for him outside and didn''t seem to know what had gone down inside. They walked slowly towards their hotel while many people around would either show their respect to him or ignore. The hatred of the last war couldn''t be just wiped away in a day or two and he didn''t mind the glares of hate either. His mind was occupied with some other matter. In the shop, he was actually ready to kidnap or coerce Aoto. But the moment his jutsu was ready to work its ''magic'', he felt an unprecedented sense of doom. Something told him that if he made a move, he would definitely suffer. 257. Walk like a cat Ohnoki was silent on his way back, and so was the usually chatty Deidara. Deidara was beyond excited to see his ''dreams'' again. The last time they met, Urahara had assured him that he had a place in Aoto''s plan and would join him soon. Now that he was here, he was beyond excited and could see his dreams of learning those techniques and being beautiful at the moment and forever finally coming to fruition. Both of them were in absolute different mindsets. One was ready to do everything to learn the trade, and the other was ready to commit to any means to learn the trade. Both on different sides of the spectrum.
Naruto, after running behind Jiraiya for a long time, finally got a bit tired. This man was a slippery slope, and the end of the slope was just a bad result. He found him peeking into the women''s bath, and Naruto went on to expose him. He was promptly banned. Jiraiya was more pissed off about it and made a run, and Naruto had to go after him like a boy whose parents had just abandoned him. This was frustrating, but it was not in his nature to give up and was ready to make a run and search for him, but he was stopped. "Naruto, where were you? We have been searching for you for such a long time," Sakura said, incredibly angry, coming towards Naruto with big strides. Naruto then remembered that he was supposed to go and meet Sasuke and Sakura. "Ah... I forgot," Naruto said, incredibly frustrated with himself because of his forgetful nature. "How can you forget.. Sasuke-kun called you," Sakura said. "You know I was searching for my sensei, and I was running around looking for him," Naruto said. As they were talking, suddenly they heard someone talking behind them. "What kind of shitty place is this? Sensei being perverts? No wonder Konoha has gone down over the years." "Right? And what kind of sensei leaves their students with no supervision whatsoever? Pff, there is nothing great here." Both Naruto and Sakura were incredibly offended and started a small brawl. They were ready to start a fight and were at each other''s faces. Of course, the two people didn''t belong to Konoha. They were from Sunagakure. Kankuro and Temari. "Naruto, they are our guests. We should not be starting a fight against them."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Sasuke appeared, sitting on a tree branch on the side. He had shown himself without the knowledge of Kankuro and Temari, which shocked them as they didn''t expect someone to sneak up on them without their knowledge. And from the looks of it, they belonged to the same team. This rattled Kankuro and Temari. But they were teenagers, and this slight wasn''t something that they would just overlook. Both of them were ready to lash it out when they heard "Kankuro.. Temari.. That''s enough.. Did you forget where we are?" It was Gaara and he had appeared just on the underside of Sasuke, hanging by his feet. It went almost exactly like the way it went in the original story but there was a significant change. As soon as Gaara appeared and gave others a dangerous vibe, Naruto heard. "Kid, he is also a jinchuriki like you." "What?" Naruto was near the huge gate and there was Kurama lying down on the opposite side. The fox had never spoken to him voluntarily outside of his need for books to read. Over the last few months, Kurama was incredibly occupied reading the books and never bothered to talk. Today was the first time. "You.. You talk like a normal person?" Naruto, who was standing on the other side, couldn''t help but ask. "Tch... I am just giving you a heads up." Kurama spoke in an annoying tone. "Wait.. What does jin.. jinchurimi means?" Naruto asked as he didn''t catch the word the first time. "Jinchuriki.. And it means someone who has a tailed beast inside their body. Someone like you." Kurama said. This stiffened Naruto as he now looked at Gaara. The interaction didn''t take more than a couple of seconds so nobody noticed how Naruto''s a bit of fear filled eyes were now filled with pity. He could feel the hatred. While Naruto was thinking that, Sasuke and Sakura were on high alert. Especially Sasuke, as even with his one tomoe sharingan he wasn''t able to notice his arrival. This showed how silent and deadly he was. There was an awkward silence as Kankuro and Temari were more fearful of Gaara, then these two nobodies. They stepped back a bit but then they heard. "Meow." Garra, Temari and Kankuro turned around and saw a black cat walking over the fence silently. Normally this should not have bothered anyone, but it bothered the three as they didn''t notice the arrival of this cat. A shinobi like them was always aware of their surroundings and for a cat to just casually come up, made the three of them, even Gaara a bit annoyed. And this was what prompted Gaara to move as sand came out from his gourd and attacked at the black cat with the intention of killing it. The sand appeared around the black cat in extreme fast speed and closed it on itself on the cat almost instantly. The three others were too late to react and just shouted. "Yoruichi-san!" The sand had already closed but there was no red blood around beings splattered. The cat seemed to have vanished. "Meow." The black cat appeared again and this time it was on four legs struck to the branch upside down, hanging just as Gaara and on his side. Gaara was appalled when he saw the black cat near him. Sasuke and others sighed in relief when they Yoruichi all safe and sound. They also felt a bit embarrassed to think that someone like her could be killed so easily. Someone who took out Jonin anbu like it was a walk on the park. [news]Read 50+ chapters ahead on my patreon[/news] 258. You are old, accept it "What the hell are you?" Gaara hissed under his breath as another burst of sand closed in on Yoruichi, and he proceeded to use sand burial on her. She vanished again, and this time she appeared right on the gourd behind his back. The movement was so smooth and fast that nobody was able to feel nor see her speed. Gaara was dumbfounded, and his face became uglier as he realized he couldn''t take down a cat, even with two moves. "You bastard... What are you trying to do to Yoruichi-san?" Naruto shouted. "-san?" Kankuro and Temari noticed the annotation to the name and came to an immediate realization that the cat wasn''t normal at all. "What is this cat?" Gaara hissed but didn''t swat away the cat. He just turned and looked at the black cat standing like a queen on the gourd. "Why? Cat got your tongue?" This time it was Yoruichi who spoke. This stiffened Gaara more, as he didn''t expect the cat to even speak because the cat didn''t speak before. There were summoning beasts that could speak, so they weren''t that surprised. But Gaara didn''t expect a beast to be present. He looked around and then placed his eyes on Naruto. "You summoned this beast?" Gaara asked. "What? Are you mad or were you born with your head hitting the floor first?" Naruto was very angry that this person just tried to kill his friend and thus blatantly insulted him. This made Gaara more irritated, and sand started to gather around Naruto. But before Naruto or Gaara could make a move, two kunai were placed at Gaara''s neck. One was from Sasuke himself as he snuck past Gaara since he was too drowned in his own anger, and the other was from Kakashi himself as he appeared out of nowhere. Gaara, who was ready to make the move, stopped as he felt the kunai. The sand actually came a bit late as it tried to swat both of them away. It didn''t swat Yoruichi away because the cat wasn''t really in the mood to attack Gaara. But Sasuke and Kakashi were a bit too fast for the current Gaara. Both of them took steps away. "You are guests of Konoha. Konoha would appreciate it if you acted as one and not overstepped your boundaries," Kakashi said, this time in a cold tone.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "Hatake Kakashi... Of the Sharingan... I have heard about you," Gaara spoke, and he had calmed down a bit now. "Gaara... I have heard rumors about you," Kakashi said. "Hmph... Temari... Kankuro... We are leaving," Gaara said, not wanting to speak anymore, and started to walk away. "I will kill you three in the Chunin Exams, and you too, Hatake Kakashi," Gaara declared. "If one wants to kill, he or she doesn''t say it out loud. He or she just does it. You declaring your intention only makes you seem more arrogant. Your hatred has an excuse, but not your arrogance. And that thing inside you, it doesn''t even belong to you in the first place, not until you control it or become friends with it. If I was the invigilator, I would have already disqualified you by now as you are not fit to sit for the exams, you need more years as a genin." Yoruichi spoke up while standing on Sasuke''s shoulder. This almost made Gaara lose his calm demeanor, again, and it was replaced by irritation. Kankuro and Temari, fearing the worst, convinced him to get away from them. "Yoruichi-san, why didn''t you kick his ass?" Sasuke was beyond angry and asked. "Violence isn''t always the answer," Yoruichi said, to which Kakashi also nodded. He had been on the fence about this black cat, and seeing her current demeanor made him more assured to let her be around his team. She was a positive influence on the team and also provided protection, as he had noticed. Sasuke wasn''t happy with the answer, as this person had tried to kill her and had also threatened them. "Yoruichi-san, what did you mean by the ''entity'' inside him?" Sakura was observant and asked Yoruichi. She turned and looked at Kakashi. "Do I have to answer?" Kakashi played dumb and pointed at his own face. "You are an official here. I don''t have the right to speak," Yoruichi said. Kakashi hesitated but then explained what bijuu were and how there were 9 beasts spread out. He then said that the one-tailed beast was with the Sunagakure, and Gaara was probably sealed inside it. Naruto was extremely silent as Kakashi reiterated that, and surprisingly, he didn''t mention Naruto at all being the jinchuriki. Naruto didn''t know what to feel as Kakashi didn''t reveal his secret. After this incident, Kakashi asked them to go to their respective homes as things might turn rowdy any moment. "Sasuke, come and live with us during this event," Yoruichi said. "I don''t need any kind of protection," Sasuke was annoyed as he felt like he was being treated like a child here. "That wasn''t an invitation," Yoruichi said. This made Sasuke curse inside but he accepted the deal and followed like a good little kid. Sakura just smiled and went back to her place. Whatever they wished to do, they didn''t have the appetite anymore. Both of them were at Aoto''s place, and it was already lunchtime. Aoto, seeing the two kids, called them in for lunch, and Naruto''s ill mood washed away seeing his favorite foods being made. But along with it, there was another person at the dining table. The pervy sage. "You... You are here. You are not running anywhere this time. You will teach me," Naruto shouted. "Calm down, Naruto. We can talk about this old person later. Tell me what happened with the Sunagakure?" Aoto said. "Who did you call an old person?" Jiraiya shouted at Aoto instead. "Then what are you?" Aoto asked. 259. Spill some secrets Aoto and Jiraiya went into a verbal fight, and Naruto hopped in too. Sasuke was dumbfounded seeing the whole dynamic and drama that was going on. At first, he was surprised, and then he just decided to ignore the three and concentrate on the lamb chops offered to him. At this age, after the death of his family, it was him who always cooked and took care of himself. Now that he was served homemade food, he was both happy and a bit nostalgic. He missed his mother''s handmade food and thus was a bit emotional. Of course, he wouldn''t show this to anyone else. Along with him, Yoruichi too was eating her fill served to her. Thankfully, their arguments stopped as all three of them got hungry and started eating. While eating, Naruto narrated what had happened, and Jiraiya also kept his ears up. He was surprised that the black cat was so powerful and looked deeply into the cat this time. "What are you looking at, old man?" Yoruichi barked at him, which made Jiraiya stiffen up and almost choke on his food, all at the same time. Sasuke and Naruto just smirked seeing him like this. But at the end of the day, it was a hearty meal, and Aoto made sure everyone had their fill. Jiraiya didn''t run off this time and actually taught both Sasuke and Naruto how to stand on water. This was a new technique, and both of them were elated to learn one. Thus, they went to the courtyard and got to work immediately. Jiraiya was happy seeing the young ones in Konoha eager to learn. As they were learning and Jiraiya was overlooking them, Aoto appeared in front of him. "You are leaving?" Aoto asked. "Sadly, yes. I have been looking for Tsunade, but she is a tough nut to find," Jiraiya said, his voice carrying nostalgia and, if one could sense, there was love and care too. "Jiraiya-sama... I think it''s time to confess your feelings for her," Aoto said. "What?" Jiraiya didn''t expect such words from Aoto, as almost nobody knew of his love for Tsunade. Aoto didn''t reply and just looked at Jiraiya. "How do you know?" He asked. "Your octaves fluctuate a bit when you talk about her. Never happened before. It would be better if you curb your pervy behavior, and maybe she will take you more seriously. You look at women just so that you can show you are not serious about life, but we know that it is just a facade. You need to take her seriously. It''s not too late," Aoto said.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "You are speaking of something on which you have no idea," Jiraiya said. "Jiraiya-sama, a war is coming soon. It''s best if you take my words seriously," Aoto said. Those words made Jiraiya, who was in normal mode, shift to serious mode. "What do you mean?" Jiraiya asked. "I mean what I said. Take your life seriously and pull your act together," Aoto said. "No. About the war? What do you mean? What do you know?" Jiraiya asked. "War is war, Jiraiya-sama," Aoto reiterated and walked away. Jiraiya wanted to ask and force him to spill, but for some reason, he felt like asking him more wouldn''t give him any answers. Hiruzen had always told him to be careful of Aoto and though he wasn''t very happy with his teacher, he did take his words seriously. He had heard how Hiruzen was hell-bent on making him the Hokage, but he always avoided that. He had powerful people under him, but even then, he never showed any ambition for power. He had wrapped the daimyo around his fingers but still refused to involve himself politically and control the nation. Aoto had connections with other villages too but still only dealt in business. An ambition-less person like him said that a war was coming. Now the question was, who was the enemy? The terrorist organization Akatsuki? Or something more sinister? He made it feel like the war was going to affect everything and people were going to die. His words actually made him feel that Aoto himself might not be alive by the end, which meant that the enemies were way too strong. If Aoto knew what Jiraiya was thinking, he would have given this man a standing ovation. Just in a few words, this man was able to decipher so many things and even came close to the truth. But sadly, Jiraiya had no idea how deep the water was. He went back to his shop while Jiraiya was left with his thoughts. The start of the exams was still a few days away and there were people coming in and out. Palickos were being sold left and right, and so were the other products. The sale of computers in the store run by Ino-Shika-Cho was so high that all three genins were asked to help their families. The manga sales were at an all-time high, and Corazon actually asked for help from Shikuro. Shikuro refused because he was busy teaching his son the various techniques specific to their clan and wanted his son to become a chunin in this exam itself. And Torune, being the model child he was, vowed to make his father proud. All in all, Aoto was getting richer, and Urahara was having a hard time.
The next day. Sasuke and Naruto slept in the same room, and though they grumbled at each other, they did sleep at the end. Sasuke and Naruto weren''t able to master ''walking on water'' and thus went to practice again. Jiraiya had already left, but he did say that he would be back after the first round of exams. Naruto and Sasuke vowed to finish it before his return. Now that both of the kids were busy, he was sitting alone in his shop with customers coming in and out. He was having a good time explaining things when he heard a notification from the system. Hearing the notification gave him joy as he thought he would get another upgrade. But nothing like that. The system notified him that someone known has entered the territory. An old friend of his. 260. He isnt even a big boss It was already evening when the man stepped in. He looked like any other person belonging to Sunagakure, but only Aoto knew that this person didn''t belong to that village at all. His disguise was so precise that he was sure that even some of the best sensory-type ninjas wouldn''t be able to sense that something was wrong with him. Maybe the ones with Sharingan and Byakugan could see through. After the man entered, he didn''t immediately go and talk with Aoto, and Aoto, too, didn''t show him any special preference. There were other customers around, and since the closing time was approaching, the volume of the customers was lessening. The man came up to Aoto to ask random questions so as not to be suspicious to others if anybody put an eye on the shop for a long time. After an hour or so, all of the customers had already left, leaving the man and Aoto alone in the shop. "You have quite the nerves coming here at this moment," Aoto said. The man was surprised that his disguise couldn''t hold a candle to the shopkeeper. He just smirked a bit and finally took off the disguise. What was revealed was a young man with dark hair and pitch-black eyes. "And here I thought I would be able to scare you," the man said. "This place is my safe haven. Nothing can get away from my eyes here, Shisui," Aoto said. It was Shisui, the one which Aoto himself sent on a mission. A mission to find the remnants of the God tree or anything related to the ¨­tsutsuki Clan. Shisui didn''t understand his words and just thought that Aoto was humbling himself. "Hahahah. Expected of someone who has so much knowledge," Shisui said. "You took the risk of coming and meeting me here, at the time when the vigilance of Konoha is at the peak. Must be something interesting," Aoto said. "It''s not as difficult as you think. They think I am dead, and thus they are not even looking for me. But they are looking for my friend," Shisui said. "Itachi has a different mission than yours. It will end soon, and both of you will come out as heroes," Aoto said. Shisui just shook his head and said. "I don''t want to be a hero. As long as others are safe and sound, I am quite content to be in the shadows and protect everyone," Shisui said.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "But you still took the risk and came. So you must have something quite intriguing," Aoto smiled and said. Shisui nodded and took out several pictures and placed them on the table. The pictures were of a tomb where one could see a ninjutsu-type seal being placed on it. The tomb was under a mountain and seemed like it was recently dug up, probably by Shisui himself. The seal on the tomb was transparent, and one could see a pale man standing. The pale man was wearing white clothes with designs not native to the society here, or in any of the villages. He had a spear in his hand, but his head was hung as if he was sleeping while standing. On the side of the man was the actual tomb which was sealed by rocks, and the pictures couldn''t show what was inside it. Aoto looked at the man for quite some time, and his eyebrows were creased. He recognized the fat man, and he wasn''t that surprised to see him; the only thing he was surprised about was that he didn''t expect to see him this early. Shisui was a bit on edge at the moment as he could see Aoto''s eyebrows squint hard. This meant that this situation wasn''t as easy as he had expected. To be fair, Shisui himself knew something was off as he tried to gauge the man using his Sharingan. In his eyes, there was almost no blind spot or anything that could give him an edge over this fat man. This had never happened before, and all the talks about gods suddenly became real for Shisui. "He shouldn''t be here. Not yet," Aoto mumbled, but Shisui could distinctly hear him. "Aoto-san, do you know him?" Shisui asked. Aoto nodded as he handed him the pictures back. "Did you cover up what you found out and seal it again?" Aoto asked. "Yes. The place wasn''t sealed, and I found this place because I came across a tomb under a ruined castle which had been buried by a huge mountain, and the locals proclaimed that it was a castle built by Gods. I wouldn''t have cared as there were many Gods in mythology, but it was the first time I heard that the gods they proclaim to worship went by the name of Rabbit Princess. This made me look around, and I could sense a flow of intense chakra from the mountain, and this led to the seal. In my return, I placed the rocks exactly the same way I found them. I made a seal so that no one can sense the chakra from outside, like me, and also a defense seal, but I have a feeling that the defense seal wouldn''t do any favor if that person ever came out," Shisui said. "You did well, Shisui. I couldn''t have asked for a more mature handle of the problem," Aoto said. Shisui wasn''t happy at all with the praise and asked. "Who is he?" Shisui asked. "Kinshiki Otsutsuki, a lackey of Momoshiki," Aoto said. "An ¨­tsutsuki? So that is what they look like. They look terrible," Shisui said. There was no fear in his eyes as he said that. Aoto was impressed by seeing his resolve in this small time. "He isn''t that big of a deal. You and your friend can team up and with the right kind of information, can take him down. The one he is the lackey of is what is concerning me," Aoto said. "He is a lackey of someone?" Shisui, who had expected this person to be an ¨­tsutsuki, didn''t expect this person to be just a lackey. 261. This exam will be different Shisui didn''t hear Aoto properly when he first mentioned Kinshiki. But now that he had heard, he couldn''t believe it. A lackey was already so powerful; what about the one he was the lackey of? No wonder Aoto was hell-bent on bringing people together. They really would need all the guns, and his slow approach was probably the best for the people living here. "Aoto-san, what do you think we should do?" Shisui asked. Aoto went into thinking cap mode, and after a lot of thought, he did come up with a plan. "You have another mission," Aoto said. Shisui straightened up when he said that. He had already considered Aoto as the de facto Hokage and the leader of the future alliance, and thus he was ready to take on any missions given to him. "Your next mission would be to get close to a person and convince him to help you," Aoto said. Shisui, who was ready for a fighting mission, had a question mark above his head. "Huh?!" Shisui was confused. Aoto didn''t respond to that and called loudly. "LOKI..." There was no response, so Aoto called again. "LOKI LAUFEYSON..." That seemed to have worked as a quite handsome man appeared in the doorway behind. He looked pissed. "I told you to stop calling me that." "Then why did you come running down when I called you by that name?" Aoto asked. This made Loki''s face scrunch up a bit as Aoto called his bluff. "Fine. What do you want?" Loki asked. "You wanted to see the world, and now I have a guide for you," Aoto said as he pointed to Shisui. "Eh?" "Huh?" Both of them were surprised by this statement. Shisui had already evaluated this man as a bit childish and having a huge ego, while Loki, looking at Shisui, could tell that he was an uptight guy, probably at the same league as Captain America. Shisui wanted to deny babysitting this man, but then he remembered that he had already accepted the mission and he couldn''t back off. In addition, he was also curious as to why a person who seemed to be a friend of Aoto needed his guidance. He didn''t waste more time and bowed down at him and said,This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "My name is Shisui Uchiha, and I will be your guide. Hope we can get along." "Uchiha? I met your patriarch once before," Loki said casually. This piqued Shisui''s interest, and thus he said, "Then we have something to bond over. I would like to hear your story," Shisui said. This made Loki a bit happy, as Shisui seemed to be the first person who, even after having a hero complex, was pleasant with him. He remembered the face of Roger and somehow put his face on Shisui and thought it was great. "We will leave after my student becomes a Chunin. I hope you''re okay with that," Loki said. "Absolutely. I''ll be waiting for you outside Konoha since I can''t be seen here with this face. I hope that''s alright with you," Shisui replied. "Yeah, I understand the situation. I''ll find you," Loki affirmed. "I will be¡ª" "No need. I will be able to find you wherever you are, even if you reach into the depths of the universe," Loki interrupted, then left. Those words left Shisui with a chill down his spine. He was sure Loki wasn''t joking; it felt like he could really find him no matter where he was. After Loki left, Shisui couldn''t help but ask Aoto. "Aoto-san... Who is he?" "A God turned God," Aoto replied with a smile. "What does that mean?" Shisui was taken aback when Loki was referred to as a God. But a God turned God? What was going on? "You''ll have to find out," Aoto said. Shisui had questions, but he didn''t know how to get the answers. A god who roamed among them? Where did Aoto-san find him? Was he an ¨­tsutsuki? But if he was, then why was Aoto-san friends with him? What the hell was going on? A few more days passed, and finally, the Chunin exams were about to start. Both Naruto and Sasuke had learned to walk on water, with Sasuke winning this small rivalry, which annoyed Naruto for some reason. But now it didn''t matter, as their mettle would be evaluated in the upcoming exams, and Naruto was determined to excel. At one point, Aoto considered telling Naruto about the exams but then backed off because it would take away the purpose of the exams. Naruto needed to be tested. "Brother, are you the invigilator today?" Naruto asked. "I don''t know. Maybe. They haven''t asked me. All the invigilators are usually assigned just half an hour before, which is much later than your reporting time," Aoto said. "I hope that you are the invigilator," Naruto muttered. Aoto had given him a new set of clothes for the exam, a slightly different shade of yellow, as Naruto always preferred yellow, and it suited him well. Naruto left, and Aoto was almost sure he wouldn''t be called because it was supposed to be Ibiki''s responsibility. Maybe he would be called during the next phase. So, he opened the shop as usual. Meanwhile, Shikuro was called. He was put under Ibiki to look for students who cheated. There were many students, so there were separate classrooms too. Shikuro was assigned to another classroom and instructed to catch shinobi who couldn''t cheat well. Yes, the exam was the same as in the original story, but this time the end result was a bit different. Naruto didn''t bother talking to anyone except his own team. When Kabuto showed up and tried to help, he just ignored him and moved on. None of them were his friends except for his team now, and he was well aware of that. Loki and Aoto had drilled this into his brain. 262. Monk with a Ferrari Naruto returned with a big smile, brimming with pride as he reiterated how he hadn''t cheated at all and had simply written some answers. He also mentioned that he wasn''t ready to give up, which was why, at the end, when Ibiki tested their endurance under immense stress to ensure the genin wouldn''t easily give up. Aoto was pleased and offered Naruto a few compliments, sending Naruto over the moon since Aoto rarely gave compliments. "But don''t get too happy too soon. Jiraiya-sama will soon start teaching a new kind of ninjutsu to you," Aoto said. "What? I don''t want to... It''s so much struggle," Naruto complained. "But you said you don''t give up," Aoto sarcastically remarked. The happy-looking Naruto stiffened upon hearing that, realizing Aoto had just called him out. "I will go look for him tomorrow," Naruto said before running off. Aoto knew he didn''t need to say more; Naruto would likely leave for training with Jiraiya in the upcoming days as the next test was a week away, providing ample time for Naruto''s preparation. An hour after Naruto''s arrival, Shikuro showed up, but his expression was grim. "What''s wrong?" Aoto asked, curious. "I''ve noticed two students who seem very different from the rest," Shikuro said. "Different how? Is that a problem?" "No, I don''t think they''re students at all." "Oh? Tell me about them," Naruto said, gesturing for Shikuro to sit and explain. The first student he mentioned hailed from the Sound Village, displaying jutsus more associated with snakes. This person apparently had a long tongue like a snake, which brought a smile to Aoto''s face as he knew who this person was. "Should I inform the Hokage about what I''ve found?" Shikuro asked, noticing Aoto''s silence after describing the student. "No need," Aoto said, opting not to explain further. He had been waiting for this person for a long time; why would he ruin his plan? Although Shikuro wasn''t entirely comfortable with Aoto''s decision, he felt compelled to go along with it. "What about the next one?" Aoto asked, trying to recall any ''sus'' students from the pool of genin taking the exams. Another exceptional student Aoto knew of was the other Uzumaki; aside from that, he couldn''t recall any others.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "There were a few monks among the students," Shikuro said. "Monks? From the Fire Temple?" Aoto asked. The Fire Temple of the Fire Country had been around for many years. In the original story, Asuma went on to become a Guardian of the daimyo, and Chiriku, who belonged to the Fire Temple, also joined as one of the Guardians. Although they later separated, their work as Guardians led to a bounty being placed on their heads, with Chiriku being targeted by the Akatsuki to collect the reward. Chiriku''s fighting style gave Hidan and Kakuzu quite a challenge, both literally and figuratively. So, when Shikuro mentioned monks, those were the first things that came to Aoto''s mind. "No. They didn''t come from our country. They came from the Land of Tea." Shikuro said. "They? But you just said one monk." Aoto asked. "I did. All the other monks were fine. But there was one particular monk... How to say it... He was dangerous!" Shikuro said. This made Aoto a bit concerned. Since the time he had met Shikuro and brought him under his control, never did Shikuro describe someone as dangerous. Since his knowledge had broadened, Aoto had a feeling that even Madara might not be termed as dangerous by Shikuro. It didn''t mean that Madara wouldn''t be able to take down the current Shikuro, just the fact that Shikuro had seen and known more dangerous people around. "What is so dangerous about this monk?" Aoto asked. "I don''t know. He looked pale, his eyes hollow devoid of any emotions, as if this small kid had never seen any joy in his lifetime." Shikuro said. "That is not enough. There are many genins who are taught at their families some jutsus that make them act this way. It might be a kekkai genkai or a kekkai touta." Aoto said. "No. I understand and I am not particularly hung up on those facts, because the other monks were almost the same. But this monk, I sneaked spell on him out of curiosity." Shikuro said. "And?" Aoto asked. "If my magic is right than the soul of the man is already dead." Shikuro said. This made Aoto bit taken aback. "Are you sure you used the correct soul spell. You know those spells are dangerous and often comes out wrong." Aoto said. "I thought the same and thus tried the spell on others around and the result came out as expected. The souls are intact. And again I tried my magic on that man, and again the soul of the man didn''t seem to exist at all." Shikuro said. This was not what Aoto was expecting to hear in this exam. Because in the original story there was nothing of that sort, or at least it was never shown that way. Shikuro was silent as he could see that Aoto seemed to be little concerned for the first time since he spoke of the two students. As Aoto was thinking there was a knock on the door. "Come in." Aoto replied involuntarily. The door opened and it was the Hokage himself. "Ah.. I think I have come in a wrong time. I will come later." Hokage said as he could easily tell that Shikuro and Aoto were having some kind of serious discussion. He didn''t want to intrude into their private life. "We aren''t dating, for you to think that your presence is intruding." Aoto said. This made the Hokage stop and turn to give a wide smile. "Hahaha.. I was just kidding. I hope the students had been good. We hope to see a few chunins after the exams." Hiruzen said. "That we will see." Aoto said as he ushered the Hokage in and allowed him to take a seat. 263. I am the chief examiner "Congratulations to Naruto for passing the first exam," Hiruzen said. "The exams don''t really matter. It''s the mettle and how they deal with situations they have been thrown at in the exams. A genin can become a chunin even if he loses a fight against an opponent," Aoto said. This got the approval of the Hokage as there were no specific rules for becoming a chunin. It might sound biased, but it was not. At least not at this point. Aoto was sure that if it were a bigger place with more than thousands of genins, then it would be quite different, as politics would come into play and favoritism would come to the forefront. A single metric wasn''t good to evaluate any kind of person, but at the moment, there were no better ways to evaluate someone. At least until their civilization technologically moved forward. The Hokage took out more than a couple of papers and put them on the table. "Both of you will officiate in the next exam. Aoto-kun will be the head monitor of the first round, while in the next round, Aoto-kun, Shikuro, Unohana, and Urahara will be the match officials for the genins who will pass the first round of the next exam," Hiruzen said. "I thought these are to be given just before the exams to us," Aoto asked. "The others follow the same protocol, but being the Hokage has its perks," Hiruzen said with a wide smile. "I will follow the orders, and so will the others," Aoto said without much change in his emotions, as that was what the deal was from before. Shikuro had come back with some tea for him, and Hiruzen thanked him for the hospitality. "Hokage-sama, who are those monks that had come for the exams?" Aoto asked. "The monks? You mean from the Land of Tea? It was a month ago when they had expressed their wish to attend the exams and have more connections with Konoha. Thanks to you," Hiruzen said. "Thanks to me?" Aoto was confused. "Your products have the seal of the Fire Country and of Konoha. This is enough to intrigue the world at this point. So they''d like to know more about us," Hiruzen said. Aoto stared blankly at Hiruzen and then just smiled. Hiruzen made some small talk with them, and after about half an hour, he left. Hiruzen, after coming out of Aoto''s home, was walking casually through the streets. It wasn''t very late at night, and thus there were people attending to shops and moving around. It was actually more than usual because of the new guests.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Soon he reached his office and sat down on his chair. His bright and lively face soon became stern as he clicked his fingers. Two Anbu Jonins appeared in an instant. "Hokage-sama..." "I want some of you to keep an eye on the monks," Hiruzen said. "We understand, Hokage-sama." Both of the guards vanished in the next moment. Over time, he realized one thing about Aoto. This man knew more than meets the eye. The connections he had forged over the years had been an eye-opener as he could himself see the results. At times, Hiruzen even felt that business was the way to control the people of the world and not the raw power. He had speculated this long ago, but watching it all in real-time was an entirely different situation. "Why are you interested in the monks?" Hiruzen mumbled under his breath, his thoughts drifting off. ----- A week had passed. Today was the day for the second round. Naruto was able to chase after Jiraiya, and he had finally started teaching him a new jutsu. The Rasengan. But of course, it wasn''t that easy for Naruto, and even under a week, he had made only half the progress. Before the exam day, it was Aoto who told him to stop his practice and let him rest since he would need it for the exams. Naruto could only reluctantly give up on his road to Rasengan. Sakura and Sasuke showed up at the home to go along with Naruto. "Where is Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked when he didn''t see Kakashi around, as he expected him to give them some kind of ''good luck'' charm. "Who knows? Maybe he will be one of the examiners," Sasuke replied, not bothered at all. Naruto grumbled a bit about it, but Sakura was fine with either. She was just happy that Sasuke was with her, and thus all three of them left soon after. "We need to leave too," Unohana appeared out of nowhere and said. "Jesus, Unohana... You know that I can''t move so fast," Aoto almost screamed out. "You better start moving," Unohana said in her usual calm tone. "Well... Well... Isn''t it time for some kids to take exams?" Urahara came out and said. Aoto could only roll his eyes and opened a portal. While leaving, Yoruichi came up and sat on his shoulder. "What? My babies will be tested. I have the right to go," Yoruichi said when Aoto looked at her deeply. Aoto just shrugged his shoulders and went through the portal. When he appeared again, he found himself among a small number of genins of different sizes standing in teams and looking at the portal with wide eyes. "Psshhh... Naruto... You didn''t tell me that your brother will be the chief examiner this time." "Even I didn''t know," Naruto replied. He was actually thrilled to see his brother and almost ran to him until Sasuke and Sakura almost choked him to death. They didn''t want their advantage to just get blown off because this idiot couldn''t stop his own emotions. "Baka... Don''t ruin it for us. We are having it good. Stop making a single sound. From this point on, you and him don''t know each other. Is that clear?" Sakura hushed and said to his ears while holding him down with her hands on his neck. 264. I just want to be friends Naruto felt betrayed and had to surrender. Only then was he allowed to even breathe. Naruto was bummed that he couldn''t greet Aoto, but he could understand where this was coming from. The ones who knew about Aoto and Naruto were a bit surprised, but those who knew belonged to Konoha in the first place, and it was an advantage for them. "Welcome to the second round of Chunin exams. I am Aoto Yamazaki, born and raised in Konoha itself, and I will be the chief examiner for the second round..." Aoto was about to say more when sand suddenly came from behind and went for the cat that was dozing off on the shoulders. The black cat jumped at the last second and avoided the sand attack. Aoto turned around and looked at Gaara. He seemed to be losing his sanity once he saw the cat. The last time, the cat mocked him, and now that he was seeing the black cat again, he couldn''t hold the hatred in. Kankuro and Temari were trying to hold Gaara down and not antagonize the examiner himself. The black cat had vanished for now, and thus Gaara seemed to have calmed down, but he didn''t look remorseful at all. Aoto felt pity for this guy. All this kid ever wanted in his life was to be loved, but the only thing he returned he got was betrayal and hatred. Only his mother loved him unconditionally, and his uncle. But both of them had left the confines of mortal life. "We are sorry for our brother''s interference. He is a bit unstable, but we are great shinobis. Please allow us to continue." Kankuro and Temari asked for forgiveness on his behalf while Gaara didn''t seem to care at all. He was just glad that the cat had disappeared. "Shukaku, can you lessen your hatred?" Aoto said. "Shukaku? Who is Shukaku?" Temari and Kankuro were a bit puzzled, and so was Gaara. But then he felt a pain in his stomach so much so that he collapsed on the floor and spasmed. The pain was coming from the one-tailed beast inside him, and it was almost on a rampage as soon as he heard the word Shukaku. "Shukaku. I know you can hear me, so just for this once, calm down. I know you like to have fun around. How about after the exam ends, I will play with you?" Aoto said. This made Gaara spasm a lot more, as he was almost hysterical. Kankuro and Temari wanted to scream at the examiner, but he hadn''t made any moves.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. They couldn''t even understand what was happening. After a minute or so, Gaara calmed down a lot, and he could finally stand. He looked at the examiner with hatred in his eyes and was almost ready to kill him, but for some reason, his chakra and his emotions didn''t flare up at all. He was much calmer and didn''t feel like he would lose himself. And what amazed himself more was that the black cat returned on the shoulder of Aoto and Gaara, this time too, didn''t attack. Gaara wanted to attack but his chakra felt like it had slogged. He couldn''t understand why but he could feel that the one tailed beast wasn''t allowing him to attack Aoto or the cat. This had never happened before. Whenever Gaara wanted to go on a rampage, the beast would fuel his desires or whenever he went to deep sleep. But now that he wanted to go on a rampage, the beast refused to help. This made him curious about Aoto for the first time. He looked at him and the cat for a second and then turned his head. He would get what he wanted. He would only have to wait. Kankuro and Temari were amazed of what just happened, but they were also glad that Gaara had calmed. Though they didn''t understand what had gone down, but they could figure out that Aoto''s words had impact on Gaara. Though they were still confused. Who was Shukaku? They had known the life story of Gaara, including the one where he killed his own uncle. There was no Shukaku ever? So what was Aoto talking about. "...As I was saying..." Aoto raised his voice once more and wanted to speak when a man appeared behind him. Someone from the Sound village and vomited a kunai from his mouth. The man didn''t stab him, rather used his long tongue to deliver him the kunai. "Fss.. It''s my gift to you.." The man said. Aoto turned back and looked at the man who had just appeared. He could recognize the man instantly even though he was in disguise. Orochimaru. One of three legendary sanins. "Thank you.. Now can you fuck off from my face." Aoto said with the same smile that Orochimaru tried to pull. If it was any other person Orochimaru wouldn''t have cared a bit but for some reason he felt a bit uneasy when he saw Aoto smile. He had only heard of Aoto of how he was proclaimed as a genius and a great businessman. Genius because this person had introduced computers and he also got his hand on it. This machine was able to help in his research by a tremendous degree and do calculations that would take him days and it would finish it in seconds. He had also heard and known of the other projects that was going on like mobile phones, cars and such other inventions. Another reason why he was going attack Konoha was because he was going to kidnap Aoto. Kidnapping Aoto actually took precedence over destruction of Konoha. He wanted Aoto by hook or by crook and the kunai gifted to him had a tracking scent that he would be able to find, in any place of Konoha. When Aoto smiled at him, Orochimaru felt like this person could see through his secrets. This was a very vague feeling, like an animal instinct and as a shinobi most of the times his instinct were never wrong.